Harry Potter and the Power of the Present
by 1967HogwartsGoddess
Summary: Even with some new changes in his life, Harry Potter is lost. Will his secrets be discovered? What is Voldemort up to? Will Harry muster up the courage to ask out his crush? All will be revealed in the exciting Part 2 of the Not all Heroes wear Capes series. Abandoned oof sorry
1. Thestrals and Fighting

**Here it is! Chapter 1 of Harry…Potter…and the Power of the Present!**

 **I really like the storyline for this one, and yes! Hinny shall bloom in this one!**

 **Who will live? Who will die? Will that crazed reviewer who screams about Umbridge needing to die come back? Find out more below…**

 **Ah crap, better redo the disclaimer- I own nothing of what I write from here onwards (besides the plot of course)**

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Chapter 1- feels weird to be writing that again

Hermione kept elbowing Harry in her haste to jot down notes. He rolled his eyes at Ron who smirked at his girlfriend. It was the first lesson with Remus and Sirius, and also the first lesson of the day. The pair had two very different teaching styles- Remus liked to explain the theory and the practicality while Sirius demonstrated how to do it and helpful tips you could use. They were currently learning how to effectively use a stunning spell.

Despite the fact that all three of them could cast a good stunning spell, Hermione was hanging on Remus' every word. Sirius was sat on their shared desk, wiggling his eyebrows at Harry. Harry shook his head and refocused on Remus.

"So the main area to cast at is the torso. While a stunner to the head will knock them out, it is a smaller target therefore harder to hit. Same applies to legs and arms but if you do hit them there, the chances are very slim of you knocking them out."

Sirius slid off the desk and Remus acknowledged him by stepping back. Sirius smiled. "The counter-curse to wake them up is 'reenervate' with this wand motion." He demonstrated with his brand new Ollivander wand. "However as a side note, this can work for other things as well, if they have been knocked out the normal way or if they are asleep, this will wake them up."

An alarm went off on the desk causing a few students to jump. Remus nodded.

"Well that is the signal that this class is over. I know this is our first class but we do want homework- just a short paragraph on how you could successfully stun a rival during a duel. Y'know, tricks and feints and strategies and all that. Due in, oh I'd say two lessons time?"

Sirius nodded and the class began to pack up, everyone chatting. It was a Gryffindor-Slytherin class, so there were the odd comments about Azkaban or a full moon that were just a bit too loud to be seen as inconspicuous, but everyone ignored them. After the class cleared out, Ron, Harry and Hermione went up to Sirius and Remus briefly, as they had a class next.

"How did we do?" Sirius stage-whispered.

"You did fine Sirius, that was the best defence lesson all year." Harry said.

Sirius poked him in the side.

"Well there's no competition. We read that hag's lesson plans- Merlin, how did you not fall asleep?"

Ron hesitantly raised a hand. "I did." He said, blushing. Hermione tutted but conceded the point.

"It was very boring, "she said. "But this lesson definitely wasn't. What's next?" she asked eagerly. Remus ushered them to the door.

"I can't tell you," he said "But I think you lot will definitely like it. Now, hurry, before you're late for- Herbology, is it?"

They grumbled but gave in and ended up sprinting to greenhouse 3, where Professor Sprout gave them a stern but cheerful smile. "We are learning about Screechsnap today, folks. Can anyone tell me what it is?"

Harry blanked but Hermione and Neville's hands went up. Professor Sprout chose Hermione but promised Neville was next. As usual, Hermione's answer was textbook-perfect.

"Screechsnap is a magical plant with the ability to move and make noise. It is also described as a "semi-sentient" plant for having the ability to feel both pain and pleasure." Hermione recited, staring at the twisted brown plants that swayed from side to side, making chattering noises.

"Correct, Miss Granger. 10 points to Gryffindor. Now, can you tell me how we use it? Neville?"

"You have to smoke it then cut off the leaves at the top. It doesn't hurt them, it's like their hair. They just don't like getting it cut. The leaves are used in colour changing potions, mainly." Neville mumbled, shifting slightly, though his bright eyes were filled with enthusiasm. Professor Sprout beamed at her favourite student.

"Wonderful, Neville. 10 points to Gryffindor. Now, everyone grab a smoke can and some scissors…"

The lesson was interesting but a bit dull. The most interesting thing to happen was Susan Bones distractedly cut the leaves to short on her Screechsnap plant, which made them squirm and squeak in irritation.

Harry absently checked his timetable and felt his mood lift. "We've got Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid now." They had been dealing with Bowtruckles for a while now but Hagrid had told them to expect a surprise the next lesson.

"I swear, if he's got any more skrewts or anything like that, at all, I'm just gonna lock myself in his house the entire lesson." Ron moaned as they trudged down the path. They all grimaced at the reminder of the skrewts. Long, mean and spiky- only something Hagrid could love.

They gathered at the foot of the forest, and watched as the Hufflepuffs departed.

"There go all the civil people." Harry sighed. His sighs became more pronounced when the Slytherins strode into view. "And here comes Malfoy and his goons."

They stood in a tense silence before Hagrid quickly lumbered out of his house. He clasped his hands together, and his warm beetle-black eyes glittered like a child in a sweetshop.

"Got a real surprise for y', a real treat." He said.

"It's not any more of those blast-ended menaces you call pets, is it?" Malfoy called out mockingly, though you could hear the real question in his wavering voice. Hagrid shook his head.

"Well isn't that a shame." Ron said seriously. Hermione elbowed him but had to suppress a smile. Harry watched them with an odd expression, before shaking it off. Hagrid was now gesturing to a paddock. Inside were the beasts Harry had seen on the first day back. His hands went cold. They were real? Other people could see them? He wasn't insane? He watched silently as a smaller one bounded up to what was presumably an adult. It stretched out its bat-like wings and flapped them excitedly. Harry found himself reluctantly smiling at the enthusiastic beast. He was the only one.

"And what are we supposed to be looking at?" Malfoy called out arrogantly. Hagrid didn't seem to be offended though. He turned to the mostly bemused class.

"How many of y' can see 'em?" he said.

Harry heard Hermione gasp in realization next to him, and he slowly raised his hand. Hagrid nodded at him but his smile faded a bit. Neville also raised his hand, along with a Slytherin girl, Daphne Greengrass.

"Who can tell meh what they are?" Hagrid asked. Harry was still watching the animals as Hermione's hand shot up. Hagrid picked her, beaming. "'Ermione?"

"They're thestrals, a type of winged horse. They are considered to be unlucky omens by most wizards and witches but it's only a superstition because they can only be seen by people who have seen death. Harry's smile disappeared instantly as a brief clip of all the death he had seen rushed through his mind. His mother, Quirrel, the Basilisk (if he was truly honest, he still felt a little guilty over that), Cedric, Selwyn, Rowle, Aunt Petunia, Rodolphus, Gibbon, Jugson- Harry's hands were distinctly cold by this point, and he looked at the beasts blankly. He wasn't even going to count the amount of people he had seen through visions, which was in the thousands by now.

He faded out of the rest of the lesson, only taking note that the only reason Neville could see them is because he saw his grandfather die in his sleep. He wished his reasons could have been that peaceful. Hermione and Ron were nudging him every now and then as a show of support, but his conflicted emotions were bouncing around his head too much for him to notice.

He lethargically took notes in the next two classes, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, which was rare in itself. While he was averaging an acceptable in Ancient Runes, as it was very complicated, he was excelling in Arithmancy. It had fascinated him, causing him to read ahead. Professor Vector had leant him some books and told him to focus on spell creation. It was N.E.W.T level, but she thought he could handle it. Why he didn't choose this subject in the first place was a mystery. It was just like maths! And he had been reasonably good at maths! Well, until he had been better at it then Dudley. After a few 'words' with his ever-so-loving uncle, Harry had voluntarily decided to hide his knowledge so Dudley would look superior. It wasn't worth the belting to rebel anyway…

Click.

Click. Who was clicking their fingers…?

"Harry!" Hermione hit him on the shoulder with her book and he tightly grabbed her wrist instinctively. Her eyes widened and it took Harry a moment to come to his senses. He let go as if he had been burned and cursed himself ruthlessly in his mind. The class was over. People were piling out, not noticing the scuffle. Hermione subtly rubbed her wrist where it had been harshly twisted and smiled reassuringly at Harry, who was staring at the red handprint. It would bruise…

"Harry, it's oka-"

"I'm so sorry Hermione." Harry whispered, furious at himself. He rose to his feet. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I-"

"Harry, it doesn't matte-"

"Yes it does. I hurt you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry…Hermione, I'm sorry." Before she could respond to his shocked mutterings, he backed away. He mumbled something about Remus and Sirius, and then dashed away. It was the last lesson anyway; he would just skip dinner tonight.

Harry reached the Room of Requirement in record time; it would be around a half hour before his mentors got here. It was Sirius and Tonks tonight, as at least one Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher needed to be in the Great Hall for the feast. Remus and someone else would be next week.

Harry paced angrily in front of the wall, eyes glaring at the floor. A heavy large door appeared, as if it had always been there. Harry strode in, slamming the door behind him. The room was an empty chamber. Well, nearly. At the end of the room there were three items. A mirror. A table. A knife. Harry snorted humourlessly- the room knew him so well. He walked slowly towards them, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous room. He reluctantly glanced up at the mirror and focused on one thing.

The ugly boy standing there. How many scars were underneath that glamour? How many lies? How much blood? So weak. He lets everyone die. He's killed people. Now he's hurting his friends, lying to them constantly. Pathetic freak. I hate you, Harry thought. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. Where had it all even started? Cedric wishing him good luck. 'Both of us', what a ridiculous suggestion. Hanging on to the cup. Green light. Watching like a passive waste as…

"I hate you!" Harry shouted and punched the mirror.

He hit with his palms and his fists until the surface was shattered in bloody cobweb shapes. Harry exhaled and with a single thought, all furniture disappeared. No he didn't deserve release. He hurt Hermione. His sister. He could hurt himself, fine. But he had promised to never hurt them. Not when they had shown him a new world, back when he was a lonely abused orphan. They had actually liked him, and he- he had physically hurt Hermione. Hermione. His hands had many jagged shards off glass protruding from the skin, and he took a vindictive pleasure in yanking them all slowly out.

Twenty minutes later, Sirius and Tonks walked in, chatting amiably. Harry was in the corner, hunched over a large book. He had white bandages wrapped round his hand like fighting gloves, and when they approached, he held up his book. It was a how-to on mixed martial arts. Tonks grinned; she had learnt how to fight in different styles in order training.

"Wanna give it a go?" Harry quipped. Sirius and Tonks looked at each other and shrugged. Why not? All kinds of fighting could help. Sirius also knew how to fight, and Harry knew the basics of blocking from Harry Hunting. They walked onto a mat that had appeared and took stances.

"Harry, put your right leg back slightly for more balance." Tonks observed, before stepping forwards. She took a slow swing at Harry, who knocked the arm aside and hesitantly pushed her back slightly. He withheld a wince at the pain from his barely concealed injuries. She shook her head.

"Do you want to know how to fight?"

Harry nodded.

"Then hit me. Give me all you got, kid. You ain't gonna learn, if you ain't gonna try."

He stepped forwards and this time took a quicker swing, following up with a kick to her side. She ducked his punch and dodged the kick. They then started sparring, Tonks going slow and Harry holding back slightly. Sirius watched, trying to see where they were protecting most of all. Tonks avoided hits to the face and Harry avoided her grabbing his arms. Everyone has their own fighting style, Sirius thought. After a minute of observing, he decided to join, him and Harry against a grinning Tonks. They won, but not by very much.

At the end of their session, all mildly sore and bruised, the room provided bean bags for them to collapse into. Sirius suddenly had a thought.

"Pup?"

"Yeah?" A tired Harry responded.

"Do you think we should start a dueling club?" Sirius proposed, already knowing what his godson would say.

"Are you serio- I mean, yeah, that would be a great idea." Harry said. They all laughed at the blatant avoidance of the overused pun. It was a good idea though, and they launched into a long conversation about it. Eventually though, Sirius said:

"I'll ask Dumbledore. But what should we call it?"

"The dueling club?" Harry suggested, as if it were obvious.

"No, a cool name."

"Uhh, the Hog's warts, HW for short." Tonks said randomly, flipping her pink hair like a horse's tail. Sirius scrunched his nose.

"I like the abbreviation but it sounds gross. Two word abbreviation, yeah that's good."

"Something about defense." Tonks said.

"What about the Defense Association? DA for short?" Harry pondered out loud. Sirius and Tonks sat up.

"I like that." Said Tonks. "Every…Thursday? Wont clash with Quidditch." Harry nodded.

"The DA it is then." Sirius decided.

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 **Wayyyy angstier than I thought, like jeez.**

 **Almost forgot- this is dedicated to SharpRaptor, for that awesome long review!**


	2. Animagi and Duelling

**Snacks are godsends. And so is my pup Tallulah (I did not choose the name, blame my mother).**

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Chapter 2

Harry was silent as he padded softly down the empty stairs. It was odd seeing Hogwarts so deserted but it wasn't as if he expected anyone to be out.

It was just after 1 in the morning. Harry had woken up with a heart-wrenching scream (why did he even scream anymore? It happened nearly every night.). He had laid in bed for a while, trying to regain composure and slow his rapid panting. Sweat had dribbled down his forehead and he slipped into the bathroom after checking his silencing charm was still in place. It had randomly fallen around a week ago and he had the sneaking suspicion Ron had woken up a few times.

It was too early to go for a run, and Harry didn't want to go back to sleep. He wasn't scared-no, no, no…he wasn't weak- he just wasn't tired, right? So he had decided to go for a walk around Hogwarts. Under the invisibility cloak, of course. Harry jumped the trick step that had caught Neville so many times and headed down a smaller staircase into a corridor. It was dark and cooler than the main staircases. Harry placed a trembling hand on the wall as a wave of nausea washed over him. The cold stones, the dark room- it was a bit too familiar for comfort. Harry's breathing sped up and it seemed as if his heartbeat was echoing loudly off the walls. His hands shook. The words 'does baby Potter want to play?' reverberated around him mind as he scrambled to the end.

"Who's there?" A portrait murmured sleepily as he passed. Harry sank to the floor. Then he cursed his idiocy and placed a silencing charm on the bottom of his feet. He had forgotten that other beings could catch him. He stopped in front of a familiar portrait of a bowl of fruit and shook his head. Harry had absently walked towards the kitchens. Tickling the pear, he wondered if Dobby was still awake. Did they even sleep? If so, where?

His question was answered because, as he walked in, he saw many elves at work. A few stopped and stared at him until everyone was fixated on him. Harry squirmed uncomfortably.

"Uh-hi-" He started before a blur slammed into his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Harry doubled over but patted the blur appreciatively. It was Dobby. He was still wearing many odd clothes- a young girl's blue t-shirt, thin black P.E. shorts that hung to his ankles and many badges. He still had a bright orange tea cosy on his head. Harry smiled. He knelt down and hugged Dobby briefly but fondly. The elf had earned his trust despite the whole nearly-killing-him part. Dobby squealed.

"Mr Harry Potter sir, what is yous doing here? It is late." Harry shrugged.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." He said. It wasn't entirely a lie; it was good to see Dobby again. Dobby's eyes welled up with happy tears.

"Dobby is doing well, Mr Harry Potter sir! He is trying to teach Winky hows to be a good elf." He garbled cheerfully.

At this, Harry looked up. He scanned the room, smiling shyly at a few elves whose eyes he met. They giggled and ran away like children. Eventually he found Winky by the oven. She had a small blouse and a red skirt on, though they were in pretty bad condition, stained and ripped. Dobby's clothes were immaculate. Harry weaved towards her, politely declining the many food offers thrown at him. He sat down beside her. She looked at him with wide brown eyes.

"Hello Winky," Harry started, unsure. "How are you finding work at Hogwarts?"

She shuffled. "It is okay. Winky preferred working for Mr-Mr-" She burst into tears and fell on Harry, sobbing. He patted her back awkwardly. Oh yeah. Barty Crouch senior had died last year. Well, been murdered. By his son. Barty Crouch junior. Knives. Blood. Screams…

Harry blinked and drew Winky into a hug too. He shoved the memories behind a wall in his head and refocused on Winky. He hoped she got better. She cried until she was just drawing shaky breaths then steadily stood up. She straightened her skirt out and flashed a small smile at Harry before shooting off. Harry looked at Dobby in confusion who shook his head, his ears waggling.

"Winky still misses her old master. Dobby tries to help her but it is slow. Some elves never get better." Dobby said sadly before plastering a huge smile over his face. "Would Mr Harry Potter sir like a biscuit?"

"Uh, okay Dobby." Harry said, still mildly overwhelmed. He felt a large biscuit pressed into his hand and lethargically ate it. It tasted like oats and raisins and he floated back down to earth.

"Thanks Dobby." He said to the beaming elf before raising his voice slightly. "And thanks to whoever made it, it's really good." A squeal somewhere in the crowd answered him and he let himself be pulled to a table. Mountains of food appeared in front of him and his green eyes widened. "Oh you don't have to do all this for me, really it's okay, it's lovely but I…" Harry looked at their hopeful faces and gave in.

"I mean, this is great, thank all of you." They all smiled, a few even burst into tears in the middle of all the chaos.

Dobby was beside him, and Harry gestured to a chair opposite. "You can sit down if you want to Dobby." Dobby sniffled hopefully and slid onto the chair, sitting on his knees.

"Dobby, I'm sorry if I'm rude or anything, but it's pretty late. Shouldn't you all be asleep?" Harry asked curiously, biting into a small cake. He didn't want to hurt their feelings. Dobby shook his ears emphatically.

"Elves don't need to sleep every night, Mr Harry Potter Sir. Just once a week." Dobby said.

"Don't you get tired?" Harry asked. Dobby wiggled.

"Sometimes but then we sleep. There are many elves that can do Dobby's jobs."

"So you, uh, take shifts?" Dobby nodded. Harry made a small noise of thought. "Huh." He had never thought that elves had a system. Every time he came down here it was just madness, elves and food flying everywhere. He caught sight of a small kitchen clock on the wall. It was nearly 4 am. He should get back to bed.

"Well, just tell me when you're free, and we should talk again. I'll try to come back as much as possible" Harry said. Dobby grinned at him. Harry turned to the food. There were so many cakes- there was no way he could eat all of it. But his upbringing had made him sure to never waste food. Inspiration hit him all of a sudden.

"Dobby? Can I take all of this to the Gryffindor Common Room? I'm sure all the kids would love it."

The elves all jumped into action at his proposal but Dobby simply took Harry's arm and clicked his fingers. He was transported back into the common room immediately. The cakes were there in another click. They spread all along one long table and looked very tempting. Dobby turned to Harry.

"Goodbye, Mr Harry Potter sir." Dobby said, and vanished with a pop. Harry snorted fondly at the elf's actions before turning to the impromptu feast. He racked his mind until he remembered the spell, and then hurriedly cast a preservation spell over the food. It would remain perfect until someone ate some. Just as the daylight started to shine through the curtains, Harry disappeared upstairs to try and get some more (hopefully more peaceful) sleep.

He woke up to Ron throwing a pillow into his face.

"Harry!" Ron shouted in glee. "There's free cake!" He sprinted down the stairs without another word. Harry raised an eyebrow at his best friend's actions then got ready for another day of school. When he descended, it seemed as if everyone in the house was munching away. Fools, Harry thought. It could have been poisoned. Still, seeing the  
first years and seventh years alike with chocolate round their faces lifted his mood. He was glad that everyone was happy.

Hermione found him and held up a cupcake invitingly. Harry smiled but shook his head. If he even looked at one more cake, he might be sick. Hermione shrugged and held it out to Ron, who pounced on it like a bear. Harry laughed with Hermione. At some point Ginny sidled up to them, pink frosting cutely on her nose. Harry resisted the urge to wipe it off with his thumb. He poked her softly in the shoulder and gestured. She blushed and rubbed it off. Harry's sliced up hand throbbed under his glamour as a third year stood up on the sofa, cake in both hands and proclaimed loudly to the amused room:

"I declare this to be Cake Day!" He grinned as everyone seemed to approve the idea, then slipped and dropped his cake. The group headed off to class as raucous laughter erupted behind them.

"I wonder who did it?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius?" Harry said. Harry had to keep up the pretence, for some reason it was fun to do something nice and have no one know. He felt like Superman.

"Dumbledore?" Ron said at the same time, though it was muffled by the sponge he was chewing on.

"Fred and George?" Guessed Ginny. Though no one had turned into anything yet, it didn't mean that they wouldn't. Hermione pondered it before she conceded.

"I doubt it was Professor Dumbledore, unless all the other houses have got them. Sirius and the Twins are a definite guess. Just wait until some kind of prank sets in."

Ron and Ginny both groaned. "I wish I hadn't eaten any, I hadn't thought of that." Ron said.

The idea of 'Cake Day' was oddly amusing to Harry. People were describing it so reverently; he literally just didn't want to waste food. Everyone talked about it all day, the teachers had no idea, and no pranks had occurred yet so there were no obvious guesses. Remus and Sirius even joked about it in their class, at the end of the day.

"Who can tell me the answer to question 3? Or are you too full up on cake to answer?"

Hermione put her hand up instantly and answered. The Slytherins sneered at her but according to Ron 'they were just jealous because they didn't wake up to cake'. Just as the lesson came to a halt, Remus and Sirius exchanged a nod.

"One more thing!" Sirius said. "I understand you had a duelling club in your second year, though with Lockhart I doubt it was any good, so you will probably be happy to hear that we are starting our own club, the Defence Association, DA for short, and it starts tonight. Everyone is invited. We're basically just going to be teaching you how to duel, and some new spells and tactics and stuff. It's at 7, every Wednesday. Tonight is the first one, uh- actually we'll just explain it tonight."

The class burst into conversation and Harry gave his godfathers a thumbs up. It all sounded good. They would have to cut their training short though, which was a shame because tonight they were starting to teach Harry to become an animagus. They were all very excited. They had told him to meet them in the Room of Requirement like usual and, if they were late, to start practicing the meditative breathing they had talked to him about.

He had to breathe in then, as he breathed out, he had to let every thought go. Like Occlumency, though he had never practised. He was a natural and it certainly came in handy during his imprisonment.

Harry sat down cross-legged on a mat like he used to when he was a child at school. He had never liked his primary school. The first day was okay. He was a bright child with lots of manners and the teachers loved him. Then Dudley had waddled home, crying about Harry upstaging him. From then on, Harry was to be stupid, quiet, and in Dudley's shadow. He failed tests he knew all the answers to. Teachers grew disappointed and angry. Notes were sent home, which Harry was unfairly mocked with. Students learnt pretty fast that to be a friend of Harry was to be an enemy of Dudley and his gang. And no one wanted to be an enemy of them.

He was friendless, thought to be an idiot and bullied. He missed lots of school due to his Uncle's violent hate, and they claimed he bunked off. He was almost constantly depressed...

This was not clearing his mind. Harry rearranged his position, moving his legs out front. Then began breathing again. In, out, in, out, in...

Sirius and Remus threw the doors open with a bang and walked in, squabbling. Harry cracked open an eye and watched them, amused.

"I'm just saying Moony, if I were her..."

"Sirius, the idea is preposterous. And just wrong. I don't think she swings that way either."

"What are you two bickering about?" Harry murmured, trying to slip back in to the breathing rhythm. Remus scoffed.

"Sirius thinks that Minerva, as a cat, I mean, as an animagus, would have tried to engage, uh, join-"

"I think cat Minnie would have tried to get it on with Mrs Norris." Sirius said, dancing away from Remus' friendly shove. Harry pulled a face at the mental image, eyes still shut.

"Sorry Siri, I'm with Remus on this." Harry said, still grimacing. Sirius inhaled sharply at the relaxed boy. That had been one of baby Harry's nickname for him. Could he have remembered after all this time? Remus glanced at his best friend, understanding. They both smiled weakly and sat across from their godson/honourary godson.

"Right, we'll help you find your form first. It took us 2 years to become animagi."

Harry's jaw dropped but Sirius quickly continued.

"But that's only because we had no idea what we were doing. We had the vaguest of hints from Minnie and a few side notes in books. Trust me, an animagus form can be found much, much quicker."

"Judging by how strong your magic is Harry," Remus jumped in, "We'd expect you to be able to transform by Christmas sometime."

Harry smiled in surprise. "Oh okay. But how do you find a form? I read your book but I can't seem to get the meditation part."

"Yeah, that took us a while too. But James worked it out eventually- he had been bugging Lily for months until she mentioned a potion that could help. It sends you to sleep and you have some weird dream about your form. Like, I dreamed about running all over Hogwarts grounds. I could actually see my tail. James said he got his antlers stuck in a tree in his dream."

They all laughed at the idea of a stag caught up in branches, albeit sadly. The nostalgia left as quickly as it came as Remus began talking about the potion.

"It takes a few days to make, and has to be done perfectly. It isn't the longest potion to make, so we should know soon. There are some potions that take a month to brew."

Harry nodded. "Polyjuice Potion."

Sirius and Remus gave him appraising looks.

"I didn't think you learned that until next year?" Sirius said. Harry flushed and shuffled uncomfortably. Sirius and Remus waited, curious.

"We- uh- kinda made it in second year."

"What?" Remus exclaimed.

"Why?" Asked Sirius, leaning forward. He smelt mischief. Harry's cheeks were bright pink and he raised his hands in a 'wait-i-can-explain' position.

"So muggleborns were being attacked and we thought it was Malfoy so we made Polyjuice, knocked out Crabbe and Goyle and broke into the Slytherin dorms!" Harry protested quickly.

The Marauder's jaws dropped. Sirius spoke first as Remus was still trying to get his mind around the idea that 3 2nd years made a very complex potion. "That...is...awesome! Did you get caught? Did anything go wrong?"

Harry grinned. He was worried that they would be angry. "Nah we didn't get caught. The potion started to wear off but we had all the answers we needed by then. Malfoy wasn't behind it by the way. The potion was perfect but Hermione had a cat hair instead and had to spend a few days in the hospital wing."

"Why were muggleborns being attacked in the first place?" Remus asked. He hadn't been told much of Harry's first 2 years.

"Oh it was Voldemort in the school again." Harry replied casually. Remus' eyes popped.

"Again?" He and Sirius said at the same time. With an eye roll, Harry launched into the story of his first and second years at Hogwarts.

0o0o0

When the training session ended, Sirius and Remus waved goodbye to a sweaty Harry, who was going to get changed and meet them in the Great Hall for the DA. They had been practicing kickboxing, something Harry had taken a shine to more than the other fighting styles. Sirius rubbed his jaw as he and Remus strode to Dumbledore's office. Harry had landed a good kick there, he mused as Remus banged angrily on the griffin statue. Yes, angrily. They had not liked what they just heard. Dumbledore opened the door looking quizzical, only to be walked around. Remus threw his hands up in the air.

"A Basilisk?" he shouted, eyes flashing gold. Dumbledore breathed out and a weary look appeared on his lined face.

"I see Harry has informed you of his first and second years?"

"Damn right," said Sirius. "How did you not know that Voldemort was possessing your defense teacher?"

Dumbledore sat down and raised a bowl of lemon drops. When neither Sirius or Remus stopped glaring, he shrugged and ate one. "I realize that Harry's first years were difficult, in fact, they all have been. I regret that some of this has been my fault. I should have intervened before everything got too far but you must know- the things that have happened were so random, so just out of nowhere. We had no idea what we were up against. Children always have a way of finding out things adults cannot. Harry and his friends were reluctant to tell us what they knew and that was the worst part. Trust isn't easy to earn."

Remus calmed down slightly but the overprotective flashing was still there. It was still his cub.

"But seriously," Remus started again, ignoring Sirius' dance. "How did no one else figure out it was a basilisk? You all left Harry to kill it!"

"That haunts me even now Remus and i dread to think what would have happened if Fawkes did not get there in time."

Sirius stopped his thoughts. "Wait what?" He queried anxiously. Dumbledore hesitated for a split second before shaking his head.

"I presume Harry excluded that bit of information?"

"What?" Remus exploded.

"Harry was bitten by the basilisk." Dumbledore stated bluntly. A stony silence reigned as both men's eyes went wide and their tongues incapable of movement.

"Are-are you sure?" Remus got out, hoping beyond hope he was mistaken. Unfortunately, Dumbledore nodded.

"He still has a scar, a thin line on his elbow. It is vaguely hidden though, beneath all the newest..." Dumbledore's voice trailed off as he lost himself in his thoughts. The atmosphere shifted slightly, a more sad feeling in the air.

"...The poison in a basilisk can kill in-" Sirius choked a little on his words. "as little as two minutes. How-?"

"Fawkes has taken a particular shine to Harry. I've never quite seen him this way. He healed Harry as soon as he could."

"Harry was healed by a phoenix?" Remus said in awe. Sirius nodded.

"He also healed him at the end of the third task. Harry had been bitten by an acromantula and sprained his ankle, I think. He was having trouble walking, I can only dream about what it would have been like to duel."

While Remus was rendered speechless again, Dumbledore quickly addressed Sirius.

"The DA starts in 20 minutes, you best hurry. I advise you to talk to Harry himself about this, he rarely talks about the bad parts of his past."

They both paled at thoughts of Harry's past and nodded. Each man quietly contemplating to themselves, they hurried off to the Great Hall, where a bored Harry was waiting for them.

"You took ages!" He accused playfully, not wanting to hurt their feelings. Sirius softly shoved his shoulder and they walked into the very different Hall.

Instead of the four long house tables, there were four long dueling platforms. They were similar to the one at Grimmauld Place.

"Fancy a quick duel before the students get here?" Remus propositioned. Harry grinned an took out his wand. He was using his phoenix wand instead of the other at school, as it was better for him to channel his magic with.

Sirius smiled happily at the two most important people in his life. If he lost either of them, he would have no idea what he would do... As Harry and Remus hopped onto the platform, Sirius grabbed a notepad so he could assess Harry's dueling style. They hadn't dueled that much recently, focusing on more hand-to-hand combat. Harry was getting fitter, though still a bit too skinny.

Remus and Harry bowed to each other. Harry had had a problem with bowing at the start, what with the graveyard duel and everything. Voldemort had magically forced him to bow. But now he bowed with respect and care for his opponent. It didn't bother him anymore.

"Ready?" Remus smirked, a challenging light in his amber eyes.

"Bring it on." Harry retorted, and flung a jelly legs jinx as fast a he could. Remus jumped over it and they started exchanging spells.

"Petrificus totalus!" Harry whispered, his voice getting louder at the end as he dodged a stunner.

"Protego! Incarcerous!" Remus was agile and creative due to his wolf and marauder senses.

With a flick of his wand, Harry set the ropes on fire quickly and decided to throw caution to the wind.

"Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Diffindo!" Harry lobbed as many spells as he could think of and slowly edged forward. Remus was pushed back with the force and barely had enough time to fire back. He knew what Harry was doing but it was too late.

Harry knew he couldn't beat Remus with magic yet. So why not go with something they were both kind of new at?

The sweep kick he delivered was sloppy but had enough force to unbalance Remus. He toppled and rolled to the side, falling into one of the stances they had learned.

Harry blocked one of his slow punches. He batted his hand away like it was nothing. Punch to the arm. Punch to the face that missed. Punch to the ribs.

The last one had Remus doubled over, though still trying to fight. But as he straightened, he had been incapacitated for too long. He saw a flash of red then pitch black.

Sirius scribbled madly, trying to compare the styles. Harry, magical wise, was very good (way above anyone his age) but lacked planning. He tended to think on the spot and while that was good, it meant he didn't plan any defense for himself.

He was the opposite at fighting- he lacked confidence to hit them. It was clear he didn't want to hurt the closest thing he had to family. However, his defense was surprisingly good. His ducking was instinctual and Sirius had no idea how he was that good. Must have built up over the years, he mused as he watched his best friend get stunned.

Remus was reawakened before the sound of him hitting the floor had time to fade. Harry's anxious face swam around.

"Remus are you okay?" he asked quickly.

"I'm absolutely fine, Harry. Well done, that was a very good attack. Any tips Sirius?" Remus called out.

"More defense in magic and don't forget to disarm during physical attacks. It would be easy to just step back and stun."

Harry nodded, mentally trying to remember. He needed to be good enough or everyone would die. Remus glanced up.

"Looks like we have some admirers." he said in an amused tone. Sure enough, there was a small huddle of mainly Gryffindors by the doors. They had just watched Harry and Remus duel. Quite a few of them had open mouths.

Sirius scrambled out of his chair.

"Hello and welcome to the first DA session of the year." he said. "uh- is everyone here?"

There was some shuffling that brought the rest of the students forwards. They had only just arrived. Sirius gestured for them all to come in and they stood around him and Remus. Harry edged his way around and went to go stand with his friends. They greeted him with shocked looks.

"That duel was bloody brilliant!" Ron whispered excitedly.

"Harry, was that muggle fighting?" Hermione asked at the same time. Harry waved them off.

"Later," he said." The meeting's about to start."

Remus gave them an interesting speech on defense which Harry tuned out, as he had heard Remus practice it about 7 times. He could probably recite it word for word alongside him.

"-plit into pairs and have a basic duel just so we can get a look at where you're at. No unforgivables or dark curses."

Everyone started moving. Ron and Hermione looked awkward. Harry realized immediately.

"If you two go together, I can go find Ginny?"

They sent him appreciative smiles and wandered off, hand in hand. Harry scanned the room. Crap. Ginny had paired with a blonde Ravenclaw. Luna Lovegood, he was pretty sure.

Sirius jogged up. "Harry we were thinking that you'd be better off helping u-"

A loud bang echoed through the room and everyone stopped to see Nott, the Slytherin dueling Malfoy, fly across the room. He landed hard on the floor with a familiar click.

"Dislocated shoulder." Harry said immediately. Sirius and Remus gave him strange looks Harry couldn't place. The boy yelped in pain as he tried to sit up. His eyes watered as the Slytherin mask cracked away. His lip wobbled, making him look a lot younger than 15.

Remus rushed over instantly. With a flick of his wand, the shoulder was back in place. The boy winced then smiled, before realizing who he was smiling at. He shuffled then got up, holding his what Harry knew to be his sore shoulder.

"I'll take you to Madame Pomfrey," Remus said calmly. "She'll have something to stop the ache."

Nott nodded and followed him silently. Everyone watched him go. Sirius turned around. "Who was dueling Mr Nott?"

Draco Malfoy stepped forward, a victorious sneer on his pointed face. Harry rolled his eyes.

"What spell did you use?" Sirius asked, barely concealing his annoyance. Draco smirked.

"Nott used a reductor curse which I reflected. I only used a shield charm."

His story was short and obviously a lie for anyone who knew him, but it sounded plausible. Sirius' mouth flattened into a line. Draco continued:

"I thought that this club was supposed to be challenging. And yet here I am without a partner of suitable ability. My father will have to hear of this..."

Draco trailed off smugly. Sirius subtly sent Harry a pleading stare. Harry sighed inwardly and stepped forward. All eyes drew to him and Draco raised his fine eyebrows.

"I'll duel you Malfoy." Harry said dutifully. Gasps echoed around the room and Draco raised an eyebrow. He turned to face Pansy Parkinson, a pug faced girl.

"This should be quick then."

Some sniggers came from mostly the Slytherin group. The rest just backed away; most of them had seen the duel at the beginning. Both boys walked over to the dueling platform. People had just been working around it. Now they crowded around it, muttering in tense anticipation.

Harry stepped towards the centre. Draco mirrored his actions. A nervous Sirius stood to the side.

"No unforgivables or serious irreversible damage. Other than that, anything goes. Duel ends when the other is incapacitated or disarmed. Start at 10 paces." His voices was firm, masking his worry. He had tried to make it so Harry could use muggle fighting but that also left Draco able to use something they might not know of.

"Start." He said, and the noise bounced off the walls, loud in the avid silence. Draco sneered. They came to within a foot of each other before turning 180 degrees.

One pace.

Two paces.

Three paces.

Four paces.

Five paces.

At six paces, Harry tried something he had been experimenting with. He breathed out and with it, imagined his magic spreading out. It started off dull and muted but after a second, it sharpened. Harry became very aware of his magical surroundings. Dumbledore himself had taught him this. He said it helped to have a 'sixth sense'.

Seven paces. Harry could feel the weight from the magical ceiling on him.

Eight pa-

"Rictusempra!"

Draco screamed, turning prematurely. Harry had already ducked at the sudden release of magic, and had rolled to the side. The spell shot past him as Harry returned fire.

"Stupefy!"

He muttered, then sent off another by the time that the other one was distracting his adversary. Draco shielded both, though it was a little weak and fell after the second one crashed into the glowing white arc.

"Diffindo!"

Draco said spitefully. Harry deflected it upwards. It hit the enchanted sky and caused a lightening bolt to shoot across it, flashing brightly.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Reducto!"

"Incarcerous!"

"Sectumsempra!"

Harry's eyes narrowed angrily at the familiar spell. It was uncommon, so no one aside said anything, but Harry had experienced it enough. His expression went colder and he used Protego, which deflected it back to the caster if it was strong enough.

Draco looked panicky as his possibly lethal spell thundered back to him and he hastily ducked it. Harry was not idle though.

"Aguamenti!" He cursed. Draco was suddenly drenched in water. The crowd gave him strange looks. Harry continued.

"Glacius!" With an angry cry, Draco realized what was about to happen. Alas, he was too late. The spell enveloped him, and a layer of ice froze him in place. Harry casually summoned his wand silently, which dropped a few jaws.

The room burst into applause. Remus had come back at some point and was defrosting Malfoy. The blonde Slytherin flounced off with no gratitude, shooting dirty looks at Harry. Harry was swarmed by people congratulating him and smiled awkwardly. Too many people, too many hands, not enough room. He stepped back, breathing heavier than before.

"You showed Malfoy, Harry!" Ron whooped victoriously in the common room later.

"It was quite a good duel Harry. But how did you learn all that?" Hermione added, ever curious. Harry sighed. He should tell them, but he wanted to be alone with his godfathers. He didn't want to share. But who was he to be selfish?

"Y'know I told you that Sirius and Remus were going to be helping me be more prepared? Well, it's more than that. They're teaching me new spells and fighting methods."

Hermione looked pensive for a minute. Harry was anxious she was going to blow up. He had kind of lead on that it was more a study session than a training session. But he didn't expect her to say:

"Can we join?"

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 **Soz this took longer, I've gone back to school and oh my god, I'm even more sleep deprived than usual. 4 hours of sleep a day is good, right? P.S This is the longest chapter so far... :)  
**


	3. Spells and Treadmills

**The first and second episodes of season 12 were superb. Supernatural is the best.**

 **Ngl, I'm such a sadist to main characters. I can't help it and won't change. Deal with it, spoons.**

 **Dedicated to the guest reviewer Tammy, thanks for the nice review. They honestly make my day better**.

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Chapter 3

"-and that is why Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are tied together when making spells most of the time. Only complicated spells require numerical magic only. Right, I would like a 2 foot essay on both spell creation history and theory. Due Wednesday next week, I think."

With a warm smile, the optimistic Arithmancy professor dismissed them of their last lesson of the day. Well, not everyone's. Harry and Hermione packed up quickly, both waiting impatiently for ink to dry. Tonight was their first training session along with Ron.

They weaved in and out of the packed crowds, maneuvering to the seventh floor. Hermione still looked confused.

"I've read about the room of requirement but it never said how it appears..."

Her jaw dropped as the wall Harry had been pacing in front of sprouted a wooden door. Harry smiled at her and lead her in. The room had changed slightly since they had used it for the first time. Now they had mats for sparring, a circle of enchanted targets, some punchbags and treadmills and a few tables littered with paper.

"This is amazing." Hermione gasped in awe.

"Amazing? It's bloody brilliant!" said Ron, entering the room with Sirius and Remus. He walked over to them and kissed Hermione as a greeting. She blushed as Sirius catcalled. Harry smiled at his best friends then frowned slightly. Something was missing. No, someone. He turned to Ron.

"Ron? Is it okay if Ginny joins us?"

Ron looked surprised but, as he thought about it, found himself agreeing.

"She is the youngest. She's the most at risk. Well, after you Harry, of course, and the way you look for trouble."

Everyone chuckled as Harry protested. "I don't go looking for trouble, trouble looks for me!". It was depressingly true, thought Harry.

"We should frame that, put it above his bed." stage-whispered Remus. Hermione giggled. Harry shook his head and slipped out of the door. He turned a corner and quickly ducked back.

Malfoy and his goons were strutting up the next corridor. Harry twitched his nose. He didn't have time for a confrontation now. Gathering his energy, he hurriedly cast a disillusionment spell over himself. The weight of the magic hit him heavily, as it always did. The use of a disillusionment and a glamour at the same time was very crushing. He wasn't strong enough (weak, his mind hissed), and had to quickly drop his glamours like usual. The familiar pushing sensation eased dramtically as the Slytherins stalked by.

"-otter and the weasels, oh just they wait, how dare he beat me in a duel, my father, they'll get what's coming to them real soon-"

Malfoy's pompous voice droned into the distance, though Harry tried to listen further. It sounded as if he was plotting. Harry pondered it for a few seconds before edging round the corner. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he dropped the charm. Then quickly reapplied the glamours.

The common room was full of people. After saying the password and recieving the normal scowl from the fat lady (she still hadn't forgiven him from when he knocked her down), he searched desperately for any sign of ginger hair. Harry found her by the fireplace.

"Ginny!" he said quietly. She jumped and looked up.

"Harry? Where's Ron and Hermione?"

"They're fine. Ginny can you come with me? I'll explain on the way." Ginny nodded, a little apprehensively. She put her book under the seat and followed him out the door.

"Okay, what is it?"

"So, Voldemort has been attacking us for years. Him and his death eaters. And we're rarely prepared. They know more spells, they're bigger, they have more experience. We're outmatched. So, we are gonna start training. We'd like you to join."

Ginny nodded straight away. "Of course. Are we going to be doing what you've been doing?"

Harry tilted his head awkwardly. "I might have lied a bit about what I was doing."

Ginny narrowed he eyes. "You told us that you had been researching spells and fighting techniques."

"More like practising." Harry admitted, and stopped in front of the wall. Ginny's jaw did the customary drop as the door materialised. Hermione waved at her from by the bookshelves. Ron was sweating profusely on a treadmill.

"What is that?" Ginny questioned anxiously.

"It's a treadmill. You can run for miles without going anywhere." Hermione answered. She took Ginny aside to give her a tour. Harry wandered over to his godfathers.

"Are we going to do group sessions?" Harry said hesitantly, not wanting to push his limits. He felt a bit guilty. They were already doing so much for him, he really didn't deserve it.

"Yeah absolutely. But we'll still have one to one sessions."

Harry nodded. His mind was starting to feel heavy. He could feel his hands were trembling. He really needed to cut right now.

"Back in a minute." Harry muttered. He left quickly and sprinted back to the dorm bathrooms. Harry locked the door and sat on the edge of the bath. He rolled up his sleeve.

His trusty knife. He pressed it into his skin until the cold metal bit down harshly. Then, trying to keep the same pressure, he jerked it across. He knew instantly that he was successful as the line stung straight away. He watched, satisfied, as the pale skin turned redder. Blood welled up in the middle of the gap. Harry placed two fingers on either side and pushed down. More blood came up and it felt like it burned.

Harry breathed out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He never really knew how much was building up in his mind until he cut. The cut pulsed out his quick heartbeat. It was like ripping off a painful plaster. The rest just got shoved behind a wall in his mind.

Harry quickly sat up to wash his knife. A dizzy flash crawled over him and Harry had to sit back down. He gave it a minute before standing back up. He needed to stop being so pathetic. If he was going to become the world's saviour, he needed to act like it. No more fun anymore, or distractions. He needed to get his head sorted and train. Everyone's lives depended on it.

Harry unlocked the door and slipped out. He placed the knife back in it's holster. Grabbing an arithmancy book as an excuse to leave, he returned to the room of requirement. He was feeling a lot better. Energised, even.

Hermione was still showing Ginny how the treadmills work, and Ron and Sirius were talking over by the target dummies. Remus was sat at a desk. Harry wandered over. It looked like he was making some sort of plan.

"I'm just trying to make a rota for us all to use."

Remus said, answering Harry's unasked question. Harry read it upside down and nodded.

"It looks good. Can I have monday nights to myself here though?"

Remus quirked an eyebrow at him and Harry flushed. He wanted to work without a shirt or glamours and didn't want anyone to see. "Just as a review session, you dork."

Harry tensed at the last word, unsure if it was too far. He wasn't sure what part he played in the teasing yet. Uncle Vernon would most certainly have decked him. Remus didn't even bat an eyelid.

"Okay." He said, scribbling Harry's name in a hastily-sketched box. Harry absently chewed his lip until he could taste blood. Remus glanced up, a bit concerned.

"You okay, Harry?"

Harry snapped back to life. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

He wandered over to the bookshelves, missing the eye roll at the familiar statement. Harry trailed a finger over the leather bound spines, his head cocked at a ninety degree angle to read the titles. He pulled out a book he had read before on Arithmancy and sat in the seat opposite Remus.

It was exceptionally difficult to create spells, else everyone would do it. However, Harry had been studying it diligently whenever he had woken up to distract himself from having a panic attack. It had happened a few times, and Harry did not want to repeat those terrifying moments of shaking and struggling to breathe. Harry grabbed a piece of paper off a stack that had appeared and started copying down the algorithm for a stunning spell. It was one of the simplest. The wand movement was a jab and you only needed to knock them unconscious.

Harry decided to start by adjusting the spell. He was going to mix the algorithm for Expelliarmus and Stupefy. That way, his new spell would disarm and stun at the same time. It could be very useful in the field.

Harry worked hard, scribbling detailed notes for a few hours. Ron and Sirius left at one point to go get some food from the kitchens and Ginny was trying to improve her accuracy on the dummies. Remus was a solid presence near him; he had finished his schedule but stayed and moved on to going through older spells to practise. He had about half a page so far. A shadow fell across Harry's notes. Harry tensed. He scanned the shadow and relaxed slightly at the outline of bushy hair.

"Hermione." He stated.

She sat beside him and read through his analysis. Harry suddenly felt very anxious. What was he thinking? This was difficult, he'd only been doing it for a few months, she probably thought it was awful, it was probably rubbish, he was useless, he should hide it, he probably screwed it up-

"Harry." Hermione gasped. "This is brilliant! This could be so useful."

Harry gaped. "Really?" he said, shocked. Hermione nodded in disbelief, eyebrows raised. She mouthed a few lines to herself. Harry noticed her hand moving and smiled.

"What word would be used?" she asked, her wide eyes still zipping over the words. Harry shrugged. Remus had come over by then, a hand resting on the back of Harry's chair. He clapped Harry on the shoulder proudly.

"Harry, this is amazing. You should develop it as soon as possible. This could be a really good spell to use in a duel."

Harry smiled reluctantly. It was just a passing idea. Hermione sat down and picked up a convenient pencil. The room of requirement was awesome. They bounced ideas off of each other and Remus chimed in as they finished the theory. It was only when Harry suggested that they test it, that they realised how tired they all were. It was past midnight.

Remus went to go find Ron and Sirius, only to come back a few minutes later, laughing. He had found them asleep in a pile of food in the kitchens. Hermione and Harry promised each other to practise the spell the next night. They had decided to give the spell the name 'Expefy'.

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 **I'm kinda improvising at this point. My plan for this entire trilogy only has 700 and something words. This chapter's plan was like 8 words long.**

 **My feet are cold and I sang AVPM songs all day. I like 'not alone' and 'harry'**.


	4. Pranks and Locks

**I just can't wait until this story gets to Christmas. Major stuff is gonna go down!**

 **Sharpraptor, to answer your review, Harry will not have help yet. I get that he needs it, but that's the thing. No one notices. The reveal will be in this book though, sometime around Christmas. It's currently November in Hogwarts.**

 **Dedicated to MisterKo for a nice review. Kindness has rewards, people!**

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Chapter 4

Hermione woke to her enchanted alarm beeping on her bedside table. It had a very complex charm that allowed it to work around magic. She leant over and switched it off, yawning. It was Saturday, so she didn't technically need to get up yet, but she really wanted to finish one of her books by Monday. Hermione rolled to the side, ignoring the warm temptation her duvet gave. She got up and padded to the bathroom.

To anyone else, the sight of her would be hilarious. However, Hermione had long ago stopped thinking it was funny. She simply sighed at the mane of hair exploding out of her head. Harry had once made a joke about how if she could brush out her mop, she had to be strong, and therefore should join the quidditch team as a beater. It was met with sniggering from Ron and a glare. They didn't bring it up again.

Hermione quickly got changed, exchanging her favourite rainbow pyjamas for a thick red jumper and some jeans. It was getting colder, it wouldn't be long before the lake froze over. Casting a look back at her still comatose roommates, she hopped down the stairs, expecting to be the first person awake. She wasn't.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry. He was curled up on his side in an armchair, reading a book about Arithmancy Hermione didn't recognise. She plonked herself down on the sofa next to him. She missed the flinch, mistaking it for shuffling. Then she brought out her own book on Runes. They read in a companionable silence.

"Harry?"

Hermione broke the silence quietly. Harry looked up quickly. "Do you want to go test that spell now, instead of later? We could get it perfect now so it can be ready."

Harry considered it. "Okay." he said. Harry winced at the rasp behind it; he suspected he had been screaming half the night. Hermione didn't seem to notice, so he cleared his throat and continued. "Let's go."

The fat lady mumbled in her sleep as they opened her portrait. Hermione linked her arm through Harry's as they walked. It was a very sibling-kind of affection. Harry sent her a questioning glance. She shrugged. A small part of Harry subconsciously leant in to the contact. It felt good to be touched in a way that wasn't violent. He felt slightly stronger.

That strength left when they reached the room of requirement. Hermione moved away to open the doors and one side of Harry went cold. That was fine. He didn't deserve the attention anyway. She grabbed a training dummy and pulled it into the middle of the room. Harry went through his notes one more time. He had a feeling something was off but he wasn't sure.

Hermione stepped back and faced the target. She had attached a fake wand so they could see if it would disarm. The dummy was spelled to go red when a spell that would cause someone to go unconscious hit it. If Harry's calculations were correct, it would disarm and stun at the same time. But there was only one way to find out.

Harry went over the wand motion in his head. It was a jab (from the stunning spell) and the half circle (from expelliarmus) wand movements together, in that order. He faced the target.

"Expefy!" he said, focusing intensely on what he wanted to happen.

Nothing happened.

"Huh." said Harry. He was sure that it was perfect. Did he make a mistake? Hermione strode over.

"That should have worked." she said in a huffy tone. She furiously looked through the notes. "It should have worked!" she repeated. A crease appeared inbetween her brow. The quiet room was filled with the noise of paper flicking as Harry stared at the dummy, thinking. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Expefy!" Harry said. Hermione looked up confused. However this time, Harry reversed the wand movements. He knew it was working. A beam of purple shot out his wand and impacted the dummy fiercely. The wand flew across the room. The dummy flashed red.

"It works!" Hermione squealed, throwing her arms around Harry. He tensed but patted her back. She withdrew and blinked in amazement.

"How did you get it to work?" she asked.

"I reversed the wand movements. It flowed more the other way." Harry explained.

"That doesn't make sense though. The theory says that a half circle has to go last in the equation. It's mathematically wrong." Hermione said, head leaning on the side.

Harry shrugged. "It felt better the other way. It opened up the magic more."

Hermione still looked confused, and angry about being confused, so Harry continued to explain.

"You know what magic feels like. It has a life of its own but it's still connected to you. Magic doesn't always follow a pattern. It just, I don't know, I can't explain it." Harry said, hoping she'd get it. Hermione stepped around him.

"Expefy!" she shouted, using the original wand movements. Once again, nothing happened. Her mouth flattened determinedly.

"Expefy!" she shouted, this time using the new movements. As soon as she finished her jab, another bolt of purple lightening burst out. The dummy was stunned and disarmed. Hermione turned back.

"I sort of get it. But I don't like it. There's supposed to be a pattern."

"I guess sometimes there isn't." said Harry, nonplussed. They started practising with the spell for a few hours until Ron came in. He looked out of breath.

"Thought I might find you two here. It's breakfast time." he puffed.

"Ron, the spell works!" Hermione exclaimed, kissing him happily. Ron had a goofy look and smiled with a dazed expression. He wrapped an arm around his significantly shorter girlfriend.

"Uhm- that's great. But breakfast now?" Ron said. Harry snorted at Ron's predictability and they headed off to breakfast.

Harry sent a thumbs up to Remus at the head table, who grinned excitedly. He nudged Sirius, but it was clear that nothing registered. He was slumped over the table, half eating, half sleeping. Sirius was not a morning person.

Another one who was clearly not a morning person was sat at the other end of the staff table. Snape had practically a murderous expression on his face and was glaring at any student in a 10ft radius. He was literally sat as far away as possible from Sirius and Remus, Harry noted as he slid into the empty space by Ginny. He tried to fight off a rising blush. As a quick way to change the subject, he hurriedly engaged the nearest twin in a conversation.

"Fred, any idea why Snape is in such a bad mood?" Harry asked. Fred looked up from his eggs and surveyed the potions professor.

"When isn't he?" Fred said. "But yeah, he does look pretty approachable today. Maybe the beetles in his hair died."

"No, don't be ridiculous." George said, shaking his head. "It's probably that snake up his-"

"I happen to know the actual reason." Ginny cut them off, though she seemed amused by their antics. "He was pranked this morning. You lot were somewhere else, but if you were near the dungeons at the time, you could hear it."

"'ear 'ot?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food. Ginny grinned.

"Someone had charmed all his clothes to be red and gold, and scream the Gryffindor chant."

Everyone snorted into their breakfast, but Harry looked over to his seemingly innocent godfathers. By now Sirius was at least partially conscious and when he caught his eye, he sent a ghost of a wink at Harry. Harry smiled back, albeit tightly.

"Did Snape do anything to deserve it?" he asked. He had heard all about the marauders and 'Snivellus'. It reminded him of Dudley and his gang, so he tried to ignore it most of the time.

"Aside from being-"

"-his endearing self?" The twins said.

"He totally humiliated a girl in my year." Ginny said. "Her name's Luna. She is in Ravenclaw. She's very smart but she, uh, she's a bit different."

"Wait, is this 'loony Lovegood'?"

Ron asked suddenly, reaching for the last chicken leg. Ginny glared at him and swiped the chicken from under his hand. She took a bite of it.

"Yes, though call her that again and I will personally kill you."

Ron stared indignantly at the chicken while Harry chuckled to himself. The whole table burst into laughter. Fred and George looked proudly at their baby sister. They had taught her that themselves.

"What did he do to her?" Hermione continued, ignoring her boyfriend's spluttering. Ginny finished munching with a satisfied smirk.

"He embarrassed her in front of the entire class. Now, Luna may be... unique, but she's lovely. She's the type of person you just don't insult. If anything Snape deserves more..." Ginny trailed off suggestively.

"We smell mischief." said Fred and George with identical glints. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't approve of this at all. We shouldn't prank a teacher." she said. Ron put his hand on hers.

"He deserves it 'mione. He's a greasy bat who hates everyone. Us especially. Don't you remember when he insulted your teeth last year?" Ron said. Hermione visibly scowled at the sensitive topic for her. She reluctantly nodded.

"It is overdue that he should be finally held responsible for his bullying of students. Fine, I'm in, but I don't like it."

Ron and Harry leant forward.

Later, in the common room, George unfurled a large sheet of paper. It was like a massive mind map of ideas. Each branch of pranking had about 6 subsections.

"This is quite impressive." Said Hermione in a surprised tone.

"Why thank you Hermione-" Fred said, bowing.

"-we do try our best-" George continued.

"to impress you." Fred finished. "Now we were thinking something along the lines of-"

"Colour change." They both stated with identical mischievous grins.

Every gryffindor was very curious what their small group was up to the entire night. They were crowded around a sheet of paper that grew in writing. Finally, when the last student went to bed, the huddle broke apart.

"I thought they'd never leave." Ron said. "Right, so what's the plan again?"

"Ron, weren't you listening?" Hermione said.

"I tuned out!" Ron defended. Hermione sighed fondly and linked their hands. Fred and George pretended to retch.

"So, two of us will sneak down to the dungeons. Preferably one who has an invisibility cloak."

At this everyone looked at Harry. He held up his hands and conceded.

"Fine, I'll go."

"I'll go with you then." Ginny added. Harry felt his face heat up and missed the twins grinning.

"Great. Then, at the same time, two more of us will go to the kitchens to convince the elves. Maybe someone who has been there before frequently." Hermione said.

"We'll go." Volunteered the twins simultaneously.

"Excellent. Then Ron and I will go to the Great Hall and set up the fireworks under his chair. It will either be a decoy or just add to the prank."

"Let's go." Ginny said. Harry snuck upstairs to grab his invisibility cloak. When he came down, everyone had gone to go do their jobs except Ginny. She was lounging in a high back armchair, easily hid in case students were to appear.

"Ready?" she said eagerly. Neither of them noticed a twin in the corner, who snapped a quick photo of them stood nodded and threw the cloak over the both of them. He was suddenly shy of the closeness and started wondering if his breath smelt okay. He could feel a hot flush gather across his face. Please don't notice, he thought.

Ginny slipped as they walked down a staircase. Harry caught her instantly. His pulse quickened. Odd. Ginny never slipped. She wasn't clumsy, she usually held herself with a graceful confidence.

"Whoops!" she giggled.

Harry loved her laugh, it was like a glassy waterfall. He couldn't help but join in. They were still chuckling as they lifted the rusty latch to the door of the dungeons. Ginny had a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter and Harry had gone dead silent. It brought up too many memories for Harry to be amused. The gate made a small squeak as it was cracked open. With a wave of his wand, the door was silenced.

Harry knew where Snape's supply was off by heart. They passed the blank wall Harry recognised from his second year. He gently poked Ginny, who turned round, eyebrows raised.

"The slytherin common room is here." Harry whispered to her, almost silently.

"Huh," She huffed a quiet noise of revelation. "Why am I not surprised you know this?"

Harry shrugged sheepishly. The muted buzz of conversation reached his ears from afar, and he froze. Holding Ginny by the arm, he pulled them into the wall shadows as gently as he could. Ginny made a muffled sound of annoyance but fell silent, understanding, as Malfoy and Marcus Flint strutted into view. Luckily, the cloak still covered the both of them.

Harry held his breath. What was Malfoy and Flint doing out this late? Everyone should be asleep (excluding them, of course). Harry had a sick feeling; they just had to be up to something. Ginny pressed her head onto his chest to get more covered by the cloak and Harry could swear that everyone could hear his heart pounding.

"Serpent under't." Sniffed Malfoy. Flint cracked his knuckles. The wall passage slid open, briefly exposing the green and marble interior before slamming shut again. Harry filed the password away for later. Ginny grinned slyly.

"That'll be useful." She whispered.

Harry nodded and became hyperaware of Ginny's hand on his arm. She withdrew, seemingly unaffected and gestured around the dark stone walls.

"Where next?"

"Just round the corner," Harry mumbled. "This way."

He led her past some snoozing portraits, thanking Merlin he had remembered silencing charms on their feet. The door finally appeared in the wall on the other side, and Harry raised an eyebrow. There was a padlock on the door, along with a locking charm Harry knew was there.

He tried his luck and silently cast an Alohamora spell. A soft click answered him. Ginny stared in awe at the silent magic. He cast another on the padlock but it remained firm. He didn't have anything to pick the lock with...

Ginny pulled a hair pin out of her hair and waved it in front of his face. Harry smiled in admiration but she pulled it away before he could take it.

"But I wanna practise so I'll do it."

Harry shrugged and stepped aside slightly. It took a few minutes but Harry's reflexes caught the lock as it fell. Ginny proudly slotted the pin back into her ponytail.

"Fred and George." She said happily...

Harry clicked the padlock back into place and they hurried back the way they came, potion now in Ginny's back pocket. It was a slightly more advanced colour change potion which meant it was colourless. Slightly harder to detect for Hogwart's resident potions master.

Ginny seemed determined to move faster on the way out but Harry kept his guard up. Recklessness was rarely good. Even if it was just a prank.

A loud footstep not far behind them had Harry's arm round Ginny, wand out and ready. Ginny also pulled her wand out, watching the surrounding area it came from. They got closer and closer until-

-a sniggering Ron and Hermione stepped into view. Harry let his tense hand fall and exchanged a sneaky look with Ginny. Ron threw an arm around Hermione, kissing her happily on the cheek. Hermione blushed furiously. By then, Harry and Ginny had snuck round them. Harry pulled the hood off of their heads.

"Boo!" Ginny said loudly, but not enough to draw attention.

Hermione gasped and shot a mile into the air. Ron whirled round, fumbling to take out his wand. He relaxed at the sight of his best mate and little sister's bodiless heads.

"Bloody hell." he said, scowling.

They joined up to slowly walk to the kitchen. Harry insisted that the rest of them go under the cloak and placed a disillusionment spell on himself. It was a risk, especially as he dropped his glamours, but Harry didn't think he could stand that much close contact. Ginny was different, but that many people? He couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. That and the fact that 4 wouldn't fit. The corridor to the kitchens was darker than the moonlit halls, so Harry surreptitiously lit his wand.

Dobby was ecstatic to see so many visitors. He had hugged a now visible scar-less Harry hard, eliciting cat calls from the twins. Harry had thrown a jelly legs jinx at one of them and hugged the small elf back. It hadn't taken much for the twins to persuade them to put the potion in snape's meal.

They silently ran back to the dorm, each looking forward to tomorrow breakfast.

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 **Only a few more years then I can finally leave for University. I'm gonna start wearing high heels every day to confuse my new classmates about my true height.**

 **Might buy a dog whistle so I can randomly wake everyone up in the middle of the night. Mwahahahaha!**


	5. Shopping and Hogsmeade

**Ooh the next few chapters are gonna be quite fun to write. ;) I'm always a slave for some Harry-angst.**

 **Someone guessed what happens next, so magical shout out to MySnitch92 for their prophetic skills. Sybill Trelawney is that you? Nah, i'm kidding, just read up kiddos.**

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Chapter 5

Padfoot and Moony:

Don't look guilty.

Arrive early ish.

Wait for the fun

Harry scribbled these sentences on some parchment then slid it under the door to Remus and Sirius' rooms, with a soft whoosh of paper gliding across wood. He straightened up and lead his waiting friends to the Great Hall. They buzzed with anticipation, even though Hermione seemed to be regretting it. She had an uncomfortable expression of someone who knew what was going to happen but it was too late to back out of it. They sat down at the Gryffindor table amongst most of Gryffindor tower. It wasn't early but it was just before breakfast was due to start. They wanted good seats for the show.

"I really can't wait to see the look on his face."

Ron said quietly, grinning at his best friend. Harry returned the smile automatically. Sirius and Remus slipped through the door quietly, sending curious glances at the group. They seemed to know what was going on and had proud smiles. Nearly all of the students had arrived. Ron struggled to keep a straight face as a sallow faced Snape strode into the hall.

He stepped up onto the platform that the teachers' table was elevated on.

He approached his seat.

He pulled it out with a quiet scratch of wood on stone.

He casually scowled at everyone.

He sat.

The chair exploded.

Vibrant multicoloured fireworks burst from the bottom of the seat and shot into the air above a spluttering Snape. He vanished them with a violent wave of his wand. He looked furious and glared with such an angry intensity at the Marauders that even they seemed taken aback.

Sirius raised his hands defensively as if silently protesting. Remus shook his head seriously in decline of the accusatory burrowing of Snape's onyx eyes. Snape turned his look onto Harry, who took a bite of his toast innocently. Ginny ducked her face under a napkin and giggled prettily. Her other hand waved in front of her face to muffle laughter and she grabbed Harry's hand to hold on to for support.

Harry swore electric sparks shot up his arm, and stared at their interconnected hands dumbly. Was his hand sweaty? Was she grossed out? Before his over stimulated mind could implode, she withdrew trying to maintain a serious expression. Harry subtly glanced up at Snape. He quickly looked away.

Snape was practically vibrating in his seat, anger twisting his hooked features. The whole Hall was roaring with laughter. Harry briefly wondered if they had gone too far, but conceded that the man deserved it. He tucked into his breakfast. He could feel Sirius and Remus looking at him and flicked his eyes up. They looked oddly proud but Harry minutely shook his head. It wasn't over yet.

Looking inconspicuous, they all waited for the inevitable. And, a few minutes later, a small Hufflepuff first year burst out in laughter. It was loud and infectious and had each student looking over at him.

He pointed a shaking finger, holding his sides and giggling, at Snape.

The potion had worked miracles; Snape's hair was a lurid bright pink. His skin was orange, clashing horribly. Raucous sniggering followed him as he swept out of the animated Hall, robes billowing ominously. Their group had collapsed into hysteria, the aftermath of a successful prank. Sirius grinned at Harry and Remus sent him a fond thumbs up. They looked proud of the little group and Harry felt an unexpected burst of happiness. He had a feeling that today was going to be pretty good...

It was a Hogsmeade weekend, so as soon as the 3rd years and above had finished giggling their way through breakfast, they stepped out of their seats, put on some thick coats as the temperature was dropping even further and edged past a prowling Filch to walk to Hogsmeade. It was almost December, and Harry (like most of the other students) had decided to get his Christmas shopping done.

Hogsmeade was a beautiful village that simply couldn't be disliked. There were shops for nearly everything and the Three Broomsticks was a major attraction for the students. Harry and his friends stood in the centre of the swarming children and decided to split up. That way no-one would see what was being bought for them. Harry slyly slipped a galleon into each of his friend's pockets, just so they had more than enough. He always felt guilty about the small fortune he owned, but the Weasley family would never take anything he wanted to give them.

Hermione hurried in the direction of Zonko's, the joke shop. No doubt for Ron. Ginny loitered around for a while but eventually sped after her. Fred and George exchanged sneaky glances and wandered over to Gladrags. Ron shrugged and pointed over to Honeydukes.

"I'll be in there!" He said excitedly.

Harry laughed at his best friend and nodded.

"Okay, I'm going to head over to Scrivenshaft's." He replied. He had always wanted to see Hermione's face if she had a giant plume quill. She had admitted once that although she thought that pens were easier, quills made even the most boring of note-taking feel more magical. He flinched at the bell ring as he entered the small shop.

His eye was instantly drawn to a dark grey quill on a top shelf. The long silky feather was longer than he'd ever seen. It measured from the tip of his middle finger to his elbow, and Harry sliced through the air with a cool swish. Picking up a small pot of rainbow colour-changing ink, he quickly paid with his head down. Thinking at the last second, he also grabbed a formal looking cream quill for Percy The man who gave him his change looked so bored that, thankfully, he didn't recognize him.

After, Harry hit a blank. He had gone to Tomes and Scroll to pick up a few books: A revised edition of Quidditch through the Ages for Ron and Fred, an Animagus book he had read before for Hermione and a ton of defense books for Remus and Sirius. Then he bought a large bag of lesser known pranking supplies for George (he knew the twins would share whatever they were bought anyway) and some more things for other Weasleys, as well as Neville and Tonks. But what would he get for Ginny?

She was very complex; should he go for Quidditch or sweets or books or something else?

Harry sat on a side bench and wracked his brain. There was definitely something he had forgotten in a past conversation. With a bolt of inspiration, Harry remembered and sprinted down the street.

He met up with his friends in the Three Broomsticks later. His cheeks were red from the cold and all the running he had done to get the perfect Christmas present for Ginny. He hadn't even finished his shopping- he needed to still order some things for Mr Weasley and Bill. Everyone was tired and Harry shrunk their bags with a quick flick of his wand. They pocketed their purchases and slid into a free booth. Harry nudged Ginny and jerked his head over to Ron, who was staring besottedly at Madame Rosmerta. She was coming over to take their order. She giggled and poked Hermione who had raised eyebrows. Oh yeah, Harry thought, they were dating now. He had almost forgotten as they acted practically the same way. Just more snogging.

Ron mumbled his order with a red face. Harry repeated it hastily- just 6 butterbeers. Madame Rosmerta winked at him and Harry felt his face blush violently. Ron was looking apologetically at Hermione who shook her head at her best friends' red faces. Fred started singing loudly about Ron and Rosmerta while George made goo-goo eyes, batting his eyelashes over-exaggeratedly.

"Ron loves Rosmerta, Ron loves Rosmerta- ouch!"

Hermione batted him on the arm with a book she had quickly unshrunk from her mostly square bag of presents. Her hands were on her hips, about to plunge into full lecture mode when-

"George! Fred!"

Lee Jordan's voice carried over the general hubbub of the pub. He had a large box in his hands with the lid firmly secured with a thick belt. Ron shuddered and Harry recalled the giant tarantula Lee had in his first year. The twins climbed out of their seats enthusiastically, long limbs awkward.

"Bye kiddies." George sang.

"We'll meet you back at the castle." Fred reminded them.

Then they were gone, with half the room curiously peering at the trio's retreating backs.

An hour and about 4 butterbeers later, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny started to pack up, still immersed in their conversations. It was Hermione versus the rest on Professor Binn's teaching.

"If you'd listen, he actually has a lot to say. For example, did you know that in 1612, a goblin rebellion took place in the area around the village? Hogsmeade served as the wizards' headquarters during the rebellion! That's interesting!"

"Yeah but 'mione, the way he talks is so boring!"

"Well I'm surprised you know that seeing as you hardly listen!"

It was playful banter; each of them were smiling as they stood up. Harry insisted on paying the bill, claiming that he had drunk the most. He _had_ actually drunk the most to use this line, and trying to keep one ahead of Ron was stressful. He kept the conversation going so no-one could call him out, asking about their opinions of Astronomy. It was mainly at night and Harry could barely keep his eyes open during the infrequent lessons. They could only stargaze on clear nights when constellations could be picked out and drawn.

A faint popping noise had Harry glancing around. More popping followed and Harry's blood ran cold. It sounded like a lot of apparation... He held out a hand to stop his friends carrying on walking. Their faces were concerned as Harry stepped to look out the window.

The street was full of people in black robes.

One of the people raised an arm and shot a red spell into Ceridwen's Cauldron shop.

It blossomed in an explosion of fire.

Screams echoed down the street and everyone in the Three Broomsticks rushed towards the windows, panicked. Harry's stomach dropped as the robed people looked around the street, revealing white masks. Death eater masks. The commotion grew frantic and Ron cursed in a shoked tone beside him. Hermione was frozen, her hand clenched tightly in Ron's. Horrified shrieks were heard as a fleeing shop owner was blasted off his feet. He didn't get up.

With an almighty bang, the pub door suddenly buckled and was thrown clear across the room. A crowd of third years squealed and scattered. Out of the dust falling from the crippled door frame, a tall death eater stepped through. His voice was smooth, a contrast to his rough hands pointing a wand at the terrified students.

As soon as he spoke, Harry not only knew that it was Yaxley, but he also knew that he was absolutely and irrevocably screwed.

"Give us Harry Potter," The senior death eater sneered. "And we will leave with no further damage."

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 **Slightly shorter than usual but wanted a cliffie. My muse is asleep face down on her desk in a pool of her own drool, but I'll update ASAP. It's a fight scene so it should be easy to write- you'd think so, wouldn't you? Check out my new Percy Jackson fic btw, is coolio.**


	6. Attacks and Fire

**Heyyyyy. My cousins came over and I taught them the basics of guitar hero, which I'm pretty good at. Most of my friends are better tho.**

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Chapter 6

Harry wasted no time in acting.

"Reducto!"

His quick movement blasted Yaxley out of the door frame, which he repaired with a quick flick. It was low powered, as he didn't particularly want to kill someone in front of witnesses. He would hide that side of him. And there were still too many people...

"Rosmerta!"

Harry shouted. She turned to him desperately.

"Do you have a basement?"

She nodded shakily, gesturing to a door behind the bar. Harry quickly scanned the crowd. Frightened faces of children stared back at him and, although he didn't want to be, Harry found himself in charge.

"Fourth year and below, go into the basement now. You should be safe there. Fifth year and above, defend the pub. Any locals should help protect the children." he ordered.

Some piercing screams reverberated from outside. Harry ignored them, pulse racing, just itching for a fight.

"This is now a safe zone. DA seventh year, there are still some kids out there. You don't have to come but lives do depend on it. Watch yourself out there and we'll bring them back here. Okay?"

About ten seventh years stepped up, Angelina Johnson at the front. She looked scared but determined, just like she did before a quidditch match. Harry silently gave her a respectful nod. Everyone was still frozen, shocked at the turn of events.

"Now!" Harry shouted.

The younger kids practically sprinted downstairs. Ron, Hermione and Ginny made to follow him out into battle but Harry stopped them. He stood tall with authority.

"No, I need you three to help defend."

Hermione accepted it, looking a little green at the thought of an attack. Ron and Ginny nodded grudgingly. It was clear that they wanted to fight but Harry knew they weren't ready. They had never gone up against death eaters before. None of these kids had. He'd be damned if he let them go out inexperienced.

"But you're fifth year. You should stay here."

A seventh year pointed out. Harry silenced him with raised eyebrows and a glare. There were no further questions.

Summoning a table to hide behind, Harry threw open the door. It was clear. He vaulted it easily and ducked out into the burning street. The seventh years followed him, locking the door behind them.

"Find kids! Bring them back here!"

Harry ordered. The seventh years split up instantly, sensing that Harry knew what he was doing. Harry guessed that he sounded like a leader.

He stood still for a second before shouts caught his attention to the right. He sprinted off, wand out. He was just in time.

A death eater had about 4 third years huddled in a corner. Harry struck him with a body bind and tied him to a drainpipe. Then he stunned him. The kids scrabbled over to him.

"You know the Three Broomsticks?"

Harry said quickly. They nodded in awe.

"It's a safe zone, follow me."

He led the kids back hurriedly. They picked up another group of fourth years who had poorly blocked themselves in Honeydukes. The pub door was pulled open as he neared and he almost cursed Ginny, who ushered the kids inside. He was about to ask her if there were any attacks when-

"Harry, behind you!" Ginny screamed.

Harry whirled, blocking just in time as a nasty looking curse slammed into his shield. He retaliated with the standard barrage.

"Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus! Incarcerous!"

"Protego maximus."

The death eater growled in a scratchy Scottish accent.

"Amycus."

Harry responded neutrally, hurling a darker hex that would make the person feel like they were on fire.

"Reducto."

Amycus aimed at Harry's legs. He reflected it back just as his senses screamed. He ducked as an attack from the back narrowly missed. He glanced round to see who it was, though he faintly knew.

"Alecto, good to see you."

"Shut it Potter. We got orders to take you in again, play a little."

"No thanks."

Harry spat, deciding to go into physical. He darted forward, uppercutting Amycus to the floor. Then he stunned him as Alecto enticed him into a duel.

"Harry!"

A seventh year's voice cut through the flurry of spells. He was stood aside with a gang of children, trying to get into the pub. Death eaters were circling them hungrily. Harry used the moment of distraction to stun Alecto and bind her to a limp Amycus. Then he charged over to the students.

"The Dark Lord wants Potter alive. But he never said anything about you lot."

An unfamiliar voice grunted. He raised his wand in the face of a trembling fourth year.

"Cruci-ah!"

Harry's cutting curse drove deeply into the Death eater's ribs. He fell to one knee, wheezing in pain. Harry kneed him viciously in the ribs, knocking him over.

"The pub!"

He yelled at the seventh year as the small group of death eaters started in on him. The seventh year looked anxious at leaving Harry with so many death eaters but took the children and ran anyway. Harry briefly noticed the faces in the pub windows watching everything.

A stinging hex glanced on his shoulder and Harry barely hissed at the brief pain. It was followed by a cruciatus, signalling that the greyer spells were over

The death eaters seemed to have a plan and circled him. Then they all cursed at the same time.

"Crucio!"

Harry laughed out loud, dark and disbelieving, as he ducked to the ground. They had not thought it through. The unforgivables sailed over his head and hit others, who shouted out in pain.

Harry rolled backwards and swept a death eater's legs out from under them. They grunted but it was cut off as Harry kicked them in the head, knocking them out. He got back up quickly, jumping to his feet, and prepared to attack again.

He noticed a group of kids off to the side being led quietly in to the pub, and cursed a death eater to draw the attention away from them. They retaliated with more curses at him, which Harry had to hastily block.

"Protego maxima! Expefy!"

Harry decided to try his new spell out in the field. It worked wonders.

The death eaters looked confused as their comrade was simultaneously stunned and disarmed. Harry used the distraction to strike down a few more. The battle became heated, furious exchanges of spells, some ricocheting off and slamming into the frosty ground, leaving black scorch marks. Harry had taken down nearly every death eater in his path with only a few bruises and a cut along his cheek. His heart pounded out of his chest and he felt more alive than ever, despite being so close to possible death.

"Flipendo!" Harry shot.

With a last overpowered knockback hex, which flung a death eater bodily through a window, Harry found himself surrounded by fallen bodies. He noticed his suppressor necklace was glowing a faint light green. Harry was pretty sure most of the death eaters were still alive, he hadn't been aiming to kill, just disable.

A loud cackle ripped through the post fight haze.

A throaty, dark, drunken cackle.

A familiar cackle.

People in the pub windows were frantically gesturing for Harry to turn around. They pointed behind him with wide eyes and mouthed various words that all meant the same thing: Run. Harry narrowed his eyes, the sheer amount of hatred coursing through him turning his vision red. Yet his hands trembled, weeks of waking to that taunting sound creeping around him. Harry lifted his chin.

"Bella." He sneered, voice shaking with rage.

"Harry! So good to see you again- we've all missed you very much." Bella drawled.

Harry turned his head a small amount to peer behind him. Bella smirked, one lip curled sadistically. She stood among her fellow death eaters but made no move to reawaken them. She didn't seem to care. She only had eyes for Harry, her wand pointed directly to his head.

A cold wind whipped through the town, a stark contrast to the fiery infernos that decorated various shops.

"Where are all your pretty scars?"

Bella whispered, almost lovingly if it wasn't for the fact that if Harry made one move, she would knock him unconscious. He felt her run her wand down his neck. She stopped at a certain point and Harry's breathing hitched. He knew what she was looking for. There was a medium sized scar on his neck, the word 'Bella's' crudely burned into his skin. But it was covered by the glamour.

If there weren't students or locals in the area, Harry would have let her drop his glamours. It wouldn't have bothered him too much, she already knew practically every inch of his body, in and out. But witnesses? Housemates? Friends? Forget it.

His panic set in, fizzling beneath his skin, and thoughts flew. She was too quick, she was Voldemort's second in command, she was ruthless, she-

She was suddenly blasted off her feet. Harry spun around, his glowing green necklace swinging. Before him was the same shield that he had once accidently conjured after waking from a nightmare. Harry pressed a palm against the flickering blue surface curiously and imagined it leaving. It winked out into the air.

Bella spluttered like an angry cat and swiped her wand through the air at him.

"Crucio!"

Harry ducked down, falling forwards into a roll. He came up in a crouch, leaning to the left to dodge another sickly red spell. He brandished his own.

"Diffindo!"

He said, aiming the slicing spell directly at her neck. She deflected it and they jumped into a wild duel with each other.

"Remember when we snapped your arms and left you hanging by them?"

Bellatrix goaded, hitting him on the arm with her unpredictable spells. It stung and made his skin feel like it was twisting.

"Yes, I do."

Harry gritted out between heavy breaths. Bella bared her crooked teeth in a sick smile but Harry cut off her next snarky remark.

"How happy was Voldemort with you when you left the cell door open?"

Harry snapped coldly.

Bella's face twisted with rage though Harry detected a hint of shame. Of course she had been punished. Harry had seen it happen. Voldemort didn't let anyone off the hook, not even his best soldier, and Bella certainly paid the price.

Harry's provoking had turned Bella into a whirlwind of snarls. She had reawakened a few of the death eaters sprawled on the ground, and soon Harry found himself quite overwhelmed.

Harry didn't know how he felt about his quick decision after the battle. He didn't want to do the act of killing. But he wanted to kill them. They deserved it.

So, as he put up a strong shield that eventually shattered under the barrage of spells, he sent a strong cutting curse at the nearest one's neck. The death eater dropped like a stone, a red smile painted across his neck. Harry smiled in sick satisfaction, a bloodthirsty beat in his heart quickening.

Each of them upped their game, though a few seemed scared of something in his eyes. Harry briefly remembered them doing something similar when he was captured. He killed 2 more before diving towards one of them, knife brandished, and sticking him ruthlessly through the chest. Harry hacked them down until it was back to just him and Bella, the motionless figures dead on the cold ground.

Harry sent a blast of purple flames just as Bella threw a cutting curse at him. It struck him mid-torso and Harry gasped. He dimly heard Bella shrieking as he badly burned her before she disapparated with a furious pop. Harry fell to one knee with both magical and physical exhaustion.

Footsteps bounded towards him and Harry span, standing smoothly, and had his wand to the throat of a shocked purple haired young woman, a cutting curse on his lips.

"Nymphadora?"

Harry asked cautiously. He briefly saw a few more professors scoot past into the pub. They looked concerned. The girl narrowed her eyes and Harry dropped his wand an inch.

"It's Tonks." she warned. "But nice test."

Harry tried to smile but the pain in his ribs was burrowing into his body, chewing away. It came out as more of a grimace.

Tonks put a hand to his side to steady him but withdrew it when it came back wet and bright red.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, her hair turning an electric blue.

"I'm fine."Harry waved it off. He followed the professors into the pub as Tonks scurried behind, stuttering angrily about his lack of care.

Ginny was the first he saw, her hands spotted with red. Her eyes were red and she reminded him of what he looked like when he came back from the third task. Ron and Hermione were holding each other in the corner. Most of the students were looking at Harry in awe or fear. Harry walked over to Ginny. He knew what she needed, what everyone needed after a battle. She wrapped her arms round him.

"A third year didn't make it."She whispered in his ear, her voice hitching.

Harry rubbed her back numbly. A third year hadn't made it. Dammit! He was supposed to protect all of them! What else was he going to do! He had one job and screwed it up. Harry bet it was a stunned death eater. He had seen the way that they would just revive each other in battle. He had started off stunning to do what? Protect his image? Rubbish.

So, as Harry Potter comforted a shell shocked Ginny Weasley in the middle of a loud pub full of crying and the aftermath of the battle, his eyes grew hard and cold. They wanted a killer? They would get a killer...

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 **Ughhhhh... I'd like to say I had an excuse for why this was a few days late, but I don't. I'm juST LAZY OKAY.**

 **Cool beans, next chapter soonish. ;:-)**


	7. Hugs and Houses

**YAY BIRTHDAY TIMES!**

 **I got a ton of books, dvds, vouchers (for Waterstones of course) and a purple mermaid blanket- random but warm.**

 **Here's the new chappie, lads.**

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Chapter 7

Hermione huddled into Ron's comforting mass, burying her head in his slightly muscled arms. Ever since he'd been working out in the room of requirement, he'd been losing his slight chubbiness. She missed it but had to like his new physiche as well.

Ron ran a shaky hand through her hair, his fingers getting tangled in a few knots. They both needed each other at the moment. The pub was full of cries and sobs and it was slowly working it's way into her skull. She hadn't seen a proper fight before. A large part of her was glad Harry had insisted that they stay inside. None of them could do what he had done.

It had been both terrifying and fascinating to watch out of the grimy windows as Harry fought his way through the death eaters. He was graceful one minute, arching his back to dodge a curse, then...(dare she say it? It was just in her head.)...scary.

Harry wasn't scary himself. He was sarcastic, playful, sporty, sassy, noble and passionate...but not scary. But then again, she'd never seen him fight. It was like re-meeting him.

Harry in battle was someone she probably couldn't look in the eye. Everything that made him Harry changed. His pensive green eyes were practically black vortexes; she had actually gasped when she saw them (Hermione didn't think anyone else noticed and she would have to ask Harry about it later).

His mouth curled in a vicious sneer and it was as if he knew every death eater by their build alone. He had laughed a few times, a dark chuckle that sent shivers up her spine. The insults that Harry had traded with the death eaters were sharp and personal. It was almost like he was goading them into fighting with him.

He had killed. In front of everyone. Harry, her (nearly) little brother Harry. He...he didn't even seem to hesitate. As soon as the cutting curse had struck his adversary in the neck, it was like a switch had been flicked. Soon he was slicing them down like weeds, a remorseless expression on his face. He hadn't stuck to magic either, the bloody knife in his hand a sign of that.

He had duelled with _Bellatrix Lestrange!_ Voldemort's second in command! Their duel was fast, spells flying across in vicious streaks of light, each opponent aiming to hurt. Harry was using spells she had never heard of before- what was that fire whip that he slashed through the air during the duel? However, Bellatrix was trying to incapacitate him which gave her a disadvantage. Harry just seemed to want to kill her. When he burned the strange purple fire on her, she almost thought that he had. It disturbed her more than she was willing to let on.

But it was Harry, and she would never treat him any differently. She had read once that people had an entirely different persona when fighting, so maybe(hopefully) it was just that.

But either way, Bellatrix had escaped, Harry had almost cursed Tonks and now he was back, in the arms of Ginny. They both had very strange expressions on their faces. Harry retreated from the hug rather quickly though, and searched for what she assumed was her and Ron, as he strode over.

His eyes were back to green but they seemed colder. His teeth seemed gritted as he spoke.

"Are you two okay?"

Hermione nodded, reluctantly peeling herself from her boyfriend's warm embrace. His hugs were quite different from Mrs Weasley's and she never wanted to leave. But she stood anyway, legs wobbling, and gave a hug to a stiff Harry. She assumed he was just in shock. He patted her back normally before detaching himself.

Ron grabbed his best friend into a hug. It was brief, all male hugs seemed to be to Hermione, but Ron held Harry's shoulders and looked him over afterwards.

"There's a lot of blood on your shirt,"

Ron stated, indicating a large deep red stain on Harry's ragged t-shirt before he continued:

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Harry sighed shortly.

Fred and George stumbled through the door and Ron sprinted over to them along with Ginny. Harry and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief too. Harry turned to her.

"How is everyone else doing?"

Hermione sniffled a bit.

"Quite a few have been injured but..a third year...she, she was hit. By the killing curse. She's over there."

Hermione pointed without looking at a covered mound on the floor. The slytherin girl's hand wasn't covered and her pink nails were showing. Harry was forcefully reminded of when Tom Riddle showed him the memory of Moaning Myrtle being carried away. He looked away, silently observing as more than half the room cowered away from his stare. Great. They were scared of him.

Hermione's eyes were sparkling with tears as she became fixated on the dead body.

"I'm two years older than her, we should have protected her. She was so young."

"You can't bring someone back from the dead." Harry said flatly.

"I could have gone out with you, but I was too scared."

"'mione-"

"I'm a coward, I should have been in Ravenclaw like the hat suggested." Hermione sobbed.

Harry awkwardly hugged her again.

"Hermione," he started, cursing himself for what he was about to tell her. "So you could have been in another house, it doesn't matter. It's your choices, not your actions."

Hermione still looked disbelieving as she sniffed her red nose. Harry withheld a wince as he breathed out too heavily and his stomach screamed.

"Hermione, am _I_ a gryffindor?" Harry asked her straight out.

Hermione nodded rapidly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"The hat's first сhoice for me was Slytherin, Hermione." Harry said quietly, not looking her in the eye. She'd probably know he was evil but he just wanted to help her.

Hermione raised blotchy eyebrows and her mouth opened.

" _Really_?" she said in a hushed tone.

Harry nodded.

Hermione tilted her head to the side, bushy hair falling to the side. She nodded slowly.

"You are cunning sometimes." she said albeit regretfully.

"Just as you're smart."

Hermione shrugged and a small smile appeared.

"Thanks Harry."

"Hermione, um- could you, uh, could you not tell anyone that please?" Harry mumbled, embarrassed.

Hermione agreed, understanding. It would come with too many strings and Ron's family was quite prejudiced as well as practically the entire wizardry world.

Suddenly Professor McGonagall appeared out of nowhere, her hair sticking out and her stern expression gone. She unexpectedly pulled both Harry and Hermione into a brief hug. They exchanged shocked looks over her back. Harry saw Ron smirking to the side. Professor McGonagall pulled away, smoothing her cloak down briskly.

"Thank Merlin for you three,"

She said, her Scottish accent thick with emotion.

"Thank you for being there when we couldn't. Fifty points to gryffindor, each."

"We couldn't have done it without the seventh years."

Ron mumbled, the tips of his ears red as he was hugged too.

"They will also be rewarded."

The transfiguration professor amended. Her stern expression was replastered through her glasses.

"Now, I want all of you to get checked over for injuries, yes, that especially includes you Mr Potter!"

Harry cut off his protest mid word. She nodded grimly.

"Exactly."

Harry conceded. He probably really did need medical attention as Bella's last spell had cut quite deeply into his ribs. He was unwillingly shepherded towards a waiting Madame Pomfrey. He sighed and pointed towards the large bloodstain.

She lifted his top carefully and scowled.

"Harry, you shouldn't have been up. Sit down, sit down! You're going straight to the hospital wing for the night when I'm done!"

She exclaimed, waving her wand to seal the incision whilst checking for internal injuries.

Harry groaned at the prospect of a night in the dreaded hospital wing.

"So long as he gets his bed, he'll be fine." Ron chimed in from his side, grinning.

Harry let his head fall back onto his shoulders and smacked his best friend with his hand.

"Where's Remus and Sirius?" Harry queried as he declined having a full diagnostic, resulting in her just treating the area he knew he couldn't treat himself. Really, he needed to man up and deal with it. What could he do if he couldn't handle a little pain?

"They're back at the Castle. The headmaster thought it would be attacked so he had some teachers stay behind to defend. When really, we should have been here." McGonagall said sadly.

"They're probably on their way. But we're taking you straight up there now, so we'll meet them halfway."

Harry nodded and swung his non co-operating legs off the table, ready to walk up. His friends joined him and, along with the fussing nurse, started walking through the pub out into the decimated street.

It was a warzone. Buildings had collapsed, the pavement was cracked, fires still burned though Harry could see Flitwick in the distance putting a few out with Snape.

Harry wondered if he knew that one of his house had fallen. Just a little third year girl. Harry couldn't avoid the guilt that smashed through him, nor did he want to. He deserved it and it would remind him to be quicker, stronger, better next time. Useless. Weak. Murderer.

Sure enough, two shapes descended when they were halfway to the castle- Sirius and Remus on brooms. Sirius leapt off and ran forwards.

"Harry are you hurt? What happened? Are all of you okay?"

His grey eyes were fearful and Harry hastened to assure him that everything was fine, he just needed a few potions to heal.

Remus still glanced at his midsection every now and then, and Harry guessed the stench of blood was strong to the werewolf. He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Remus." he said.

"You always say that." Remus muttered but he dropped the subject.

Madam Pomfrey had rushed ahead and was waiting for them when they arrived. She was impatiently tapping an empty vial against a counter but had a faint smirk on her face.

Harry furrowed his brow but followed her gaze to 'his' bed. It was now 'officially his' and he smiled at the red and gold nameplate.

"Harry Potter's private hospital bed."

He read out loud, feeling oddly sentimental.

Sirius and Ron snorted but Hermione and Remus stayed somber as Harry plonked himself on the bed. His stomach had been writhing in pain like there was burning acid churning inside of him and it was a relief to get off his feet.

Madame Pomfrey handed him some potions and loomed over him like a prison guard until he drank them all. It was late afternoon but Harry felt his eyelids drooping. He turned hazy eyes on Hogwart's resident nurse.

"You drugged me." he slurred in an accusatory voice.

She shrugged casually.

"You need sleep. It will help you recover. Or do you want to wait a week to play that dangerous battle you call _quidditch_ **?** "

"Fair enough."

Harry murmured sleepily as he felt Sirius settle in the chair next to him. Hermione placed his Christmas presents by his bed as well. Harry dimly felt the familiar feel of Sirius running his hand through his hair before plummeting into his drug induced sleep to recover from his wounds.

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 **Is this okay? I wrote it during lunch period.**

 **My mother insisted that I watch Frozen with her. This is the fifth time this year. Help. Me**.


	8. Sleepovers and Dreams

**Whoops. I used the adjective 'accusatory' twice in, like, the same sentence. I was tIRED OKAY.**

 **I've fixed it so everyone just shush. If it's not there it didn't happen. I'll stop blabbering, this isn't what you're here for.**

 **Chapter 8 coming now.**

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Chapter 8

Monday rolled around quietly, a somber atmosphere in the castle at the loss of one of their own. Harry had left the hospital wing with a firm reminder from Madame Pomfrey to stay out of trouble. Yeah. Right. Sure. Lessons flowed normally with abnormal amounts of homework set for the fifth year's upcoming exam preparation. Snape was unusually calm in potions, barely deducting points at all. Ron had shared his opinion as they walked back from dinner.

"He's possessed."

Hermione bashed him on the shoulder with a book. Ron protested quickly, a small bit of chicken from dinner wedged in his teeth.

His argument could have been amazing and well thought out (doubtful though, knowing Ron) but Harry and Hermione were to busy grinning at the lodged meat.

"I agree Ron, Snape did seem to be 'stuck' in an uncharacteristic mood." Hermione said with a straight face.

Harry blinked. Dammit, that was the pun he was going to use. He had to quickly think of another one.

"Yes, I'd say he was 'inbetween' sulking and plotting."

Hermione snorted at his pathetic attempt and then giggled at the noise. Ron glanced bemusedly between his girlfriend and best friend.

"What?"

He asked curiously as Harry tried to think of how to use the word wing. Randomly, Neville appeared from behind them, a potted plant in his hands. His cheeks were flushed.

"It's a bonsai, a mini tree." he started enthusiastically at no one's request. "Some can have magical properti- Ron, uh, did you know you have some chicken in your teeth?"

Ron furrowed his orange eyebrows and felt around with his tongue. He grinned victoriously when he found in and munched happily. Hermione and Harry smiled at him.

It was only when they reached the fat lady's portrait that Harry remembered the day. He was very blank after his disturbed night spying in on Voldemort's hobbies.

"I forgot, Mondays are my nights in the room of requirement, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but we can come with you if you want." Ron said.

"Nah, nah, you guys deserve some time as a couple. I'll be fine, Ron."

Hermione blushed slightly as Ron took her hand. Ron smirked at Harry.

"Well you don't have to tell us twice."

Harry loudly mimed retching as they jumped through the portrait, though it was slightly ruined by his smile. Ginny came up the stairs behind him and Harry stopped instantly.

He made disorientated gestures with his hands, pointing at the door.

"I was just, I, Ron and, they- uh-"

Harry went red as Ginny took him by the shoulder, a joking grin on her gorgeous face. Her freckles danced underneath her eyes, glittering like melted chocolate in the sun.

"Harry, what have I told you about talking to invisible people?"

Harry tried to control a stammer.

"To- uh- make sure they're, um, not huge basilisks roaming the castle."

Ginny's smile faltered a bit and her grip got mildly tighter. Harry swore in his head at bringing up her traumatic first year at Hogwarts. She seemed to shake it off in that fraction of a second and beamed her 1000watt smile back out. She even laughed a bit.

"Yeah, yeah, absolutely."

She said and patted his cheek before, with a flick of her ponytail, disappearing through the portrait.

Harry touched his cheek tenderly and sprinted to the room of requirement before someone saw him. He didn't stop smiling.

When he opened the door, the room was set out exactly how he wanted. The room was small but had high ceilings. A thick punch bag was in the middle of the room, shaped like a human figure. Weapons lined the walls and a spongy running track surrounded him.

Harry turned around after a moment of thought and a thick deadbolt like the ones that used to be on the door of 'his' room back at the Dursley's appeared. He slammed it shut firmly. Harry hadn't thought about the Dursleys for a while.

Spending a night with his aunt's rotting corpse made him try to forget them.

He never even liked them.

...

...

They were supposed to be his family.

...

Was it something he did?

...

They said he was a weird and quiet child.

...

He had tried to impress them before he gave up, bringing home an excellent grade report, 'my family' pictures with three blonde blobs and a black one. They were all promptly ripped up.

Screw them. He didn't need them.

Harry wriggled his shirt over his head and threw it into a corner. He breathed out through his nose then slowly unwove his glamours. White ropy lines appeared wherever he looked and Harry felt burning bile rise in his throat.

He crossed the room after putting on a pair of tracksuit bottoms he had transfigured to fit. Shifting into an unnaturally offensive position, Harry pushed through a testing punch to the dummy. It moved a millimetre. Harry, irritated at the lack of reaction, gave it a harder punch. The tops of his knuckles stung. Harry relished in it and kept hitting until he noticed blood; a few of his knuckles had split. It was good however it wasn't really enough of what he wanted.

Not really thinking, he grabbed a few small knives off the wall and stepped to the side.

Lifting his chin, he raised his arm back and threw the knife by the handle at the target. It missed by an inch and sailed over the shoulder. The knife hit the wall with a sharp clink and clattered to the floor. The noise had not faded before Harry had adjusted his grip and thrown again.

It hit the target's stomach and bounced off. Harry gritted his teeth. His fingers slid down the next knife until they were gripping the blade. Then he threw. It stuck in the dummy's left hip, right on the edge, with a satisfying whump.

Harry stayed in the room for a few hours until he could hit the dummy in the neck with a solid stick three times in a row. He would need to practise though, in different situations and at different angles, else it was useless.

He was reattaching the knives when some loud thumps boomed behind him. Harry span around, pulse racing as he darted his head around for the noise. It took him a while to calm himself and walk over to the door. He grabbed his shirt and hastily layered his glamours on.

Unlocking the door, Harry was surprised to see Sirius and Remus.

"What are you doing here?" said Harry.

"What are you doing up?" said Sirius at the same time.

"Monday nights are my practise nights."

"We were setting up a surprise."

They stared at each other and Harry blinked. He held the door open.

"What surprise?" Harry started.

"Have you forgotten what day it is?" Remus asked happily.

Harry scoured his mind, his eyes darting from side to side. He looked up and gave them an apologetic smile, shrugging.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't remember."

It wasn't a birthday, as Remus' was in March and Sirius' was a few weeks ago, on the third of November. He had, strangely, wanted a small party, just Remus, Harry, Ron and Hermione though McGonagall and Dumbledore stayed for a little while. Harry had given him a Nimbus 2000, telling him all about his old, first broom. Sirius had been overjoyed at the prospect of flying again. Harry could see his wide grin over and over in his mind...he was happy.

Smiling, lost in memories, Harry almost missed what an excited Remus said.

"It's been a hassle making a potion with Sirius but we did it. The potion is ready!"

Something clicked in Harry's mind. His eyes lit up and he returned his (sort of ) guardian's enthusiasm.

"The animagus potion!"

They nodded and Sirius pulled out a small clear vial then threw it in the air, then caught it, then threw it again-

Remus snatched it out of his hands and flicked his nose. Sirius pouted.

"Here you go Harry," Remus said, handing it over. "Best take it before bed as it takes a while."

"We could all sleep in here?" Harry suggested.

Sirius laughed.

"Sleepover! We'll talk about brooms and braid Remus' hair..."

He was cut off. When he was holding his hands and batting his eyelids, Remus had been transfiguring his pyjama trousers into stone. Remus smiled innocently and placed a hand on his shoulders. And shoved.

Sirius fell on his back (on a mattress that had appeared) and started cursing. Harry was howling with laughter and Remus was failing at keeping a straight face.

Three beds faded into view, replacing the knives and punching dummy. There was one in each corner, separated by low screens so they could still see each other but still had some privacy, and a small room was in the fourth corner. On further inspection, it was realised to be a bathroom. They were all red and gold, like the gryffindor tower beds.

Sirius, with his now untransfigured pyjamas, leapt towards a bed. Remus, however, overtook him and jumped on it.

"Mine." he stated proudly.

"You two are in good moods today." Harry noted, also stealing the next bed Sirius was aiming for. He had transfigured his clothes as best as he could into pyjamas though they were a little itchy. He clutched the vial in his hand.

"I got compensation from the ministry." Sirius sang, pulling the duvet off the tight corners so it was bunched up around him.

"Really? How much?"

Sirius smirked.

"Enough to probably be able to buy at least 3 quidditch teams."

Harry snorted.

"Wow. We measure money in quidditch teams now?"

Sirius lobbed a pillow at him over the screen. Harry banished it to the other side of the room, leaving Sirius without a pillow. Sirius took off an imaginary hat.

"Well played."He said before summoning it back. Remus watched in amusement.

"Seeing as it is nearly midnight, I suggest we sleep. Harry, tell us all about it in the morning. Good night." Remus turned over in his bed.

"Don't let the Moony bite." Sirius added.

Though Harry was facing the other way, downing the potion, he distinctly heard a yelp. Stinging hex, he noted, feeling for the spells's signature in the room. It was something he was working on.

The potion tasted disgusting and Harry's voice was hoarse as he bid them goodnight too. He drifted to sleep and-

Woke up in a jungle.

Harry stretched out, feeling well rested even though he had only just fallen asleep. He took some steps forward. The jungle's atmosphere was heavy and mysterious and Harry ducked under some vines as he kept moving. A clicking sound emerged to his left, and birds screeched above him.

The first thing he noticed was that he had paws, jet black silky paws. A scratching sound when he placed a paw down on the mossy dirt indicated sharp claws. A rushing of water penetrated his sensitive ears and Harry started padding towards it.

Then he hesitantly broke in to a run. There was something strange and exhilarating about it, the way each paw worked in harmony to push him off the earth. Harry glanced back as something bashed into his back and was shocked to see a tail protruding from him. But what a fine tail! Long, coloured like coal and smooth, Harry waved it-

And ran into a tree.

Harry grunted then jumped. Merlin, was that him? He tried to yell. A magnificent roar emerged, shaking the tree tops and sending birds flying away in panic. Harry slinked down a gentle slope, jumping from tree root to tree root. His leaps were powerful and commanding, he was like a rocket. He wondered how fast he could run. Harry decided he would research when he woke up.

Approaching the source of the noise, Harry's jaw dropped open at the sight of a huge waterfall. It crashed into the lake below, white foam billowing upwards.

Harry crept up to the edge and peered over. This area was less close to the waterfall so the surface was mainly calm, just a few ripples. Wow. Merlin's beard. Was that- was that him?

A fierce feline face stared back at him with familiar green eyes. Harry opened his mouth and jumped backwards. Bloody hell. His teeth were huge and pointed. Two of them were bigger than the rest. He ran a thick tongue along them and smiled. They would definitely come in useful. A light patch above his eyes caught his attention and Harry pondered over it for a minute, basking in the intense heat and noise from the waterfall.

His scar.

Dammit.

He had hoped that would not make the transition. It was grey and had the vague bolt shape he had grown to hate. When the light shone on his sleek fur, it just stood out prominently. Harry scrunched his black nose and wiggled the small ears sticking up. He was a...not a lion, not a tiger, not a cheetah...what was the other one? Panther. That was it. He was a black panther. Well that could help in combat and stealth. Yes, Harry felt happy about his form-

Suddenly everything changed. Harry felt his fur melt away. He was shooting through the sky like a bullet, soaring higher than mountains. Harry curved his new body and instinctively plummeted in a downward arrow shape. The thermals held his impressive wings up, and, with the wind gliding over him, Harry felt a burst of happiness. He opened his mouth-no- _beak_ and cried out. Harry half expected the roar from the panther to come out but instead a beautiful melody of soft caws emerged. It was an amazing sound. The ground was approaching quickly, a flat field.

Harry stretched his fiery red wings out and slowed, but this whole flying without a broom thing was complicated and Harry realised worriedly that he was going to crash. Would he die? It was just a dream but he needed to stop, to get away-

Harry burst out in a flash of fire. Now he was on a tree branch. Huh. Okay. His ebony claws gripped the branch tightly. They were sharp at the ends. Also useful. Was there a tail on this one? Harry craned his feathery head around.

Yes. Oh yes there was.

Like a burst of fire, it had tones of red, gold and orange, though the closer it got to the end, it got darker until the very tips were black.

Harry squinted his eyes, trying to see what colour his beak was (It was also black by the look of it). It was probably an odd sight, to see a cross eyed phoenix-

Holy Merlin...he was a phoenix. Was that, was that even possible? Could someone even have two animagus forms? Harry screamed again, the gorgeous song flowing out, each note a drop of heaven. Harry wondered if his tears were magical. He had just flame-teleported, so he wasn't counting anything out at this point.

But that could all wait. He would talk to Remus and Sirius in the morning. For now though, he was going to fly. Without a broom. Without a spell. Without a care.

He shot off into the sky.

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 **Happy Christmas you spoons. Hope you get all the books and fandom shirts you asked for (It's what I asked for). I'll try to update quickly before Christmas as a present to all of y'all.**

 **Has anyone read Throne Of Glass?**


	9. Revelations and Horcruxes

**Ooh this is getting fun. My Percy Jackson fic honestly has no plan so it takes longer to write. I really should have made a plan before writing as right now I'm improvising every twist and turn in the story line. It's my English exam all over again...**

 **I'm so depressed right now. *curls up in bed with wotsits to write fanfiction***

 **If I don't update before Sunday, then a very Happy Christmas to all of y'all.**

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Chapter 9

Harry turned over in his sleep drowsily, feeling the soft bed with his hand to reassure he was somewhere safe. He had to do it occasionally, though especially after a vision or particularly bad nightmare. It grounded him. The feeling of eyes burrowing into his back had him blearily blinking. Sirius and Remus were sat on a sofa, sipping from large mugs. They scrabbled over to him, spilling their drinks everywhere, when they saw he was awake.

"Harry! Well?"

"What were you?"

Harry debated stretching the pause but they had already done so much for him...

"Well, I started off as a black panther or something."

"A panther?" Sirius asked. "That's so cool."

"Wait, what do you mean started?" Remus said.

Sirius raised his eyebrows, he obviously had not picked up on that. Harry shuffled. Was it normal to have 2? Either way, it was an advantage in a battle. But he was a magical creature. Surely that wasn't normal. Harry swallowed.

"My form kind of changed halfway through."

"How?"

"One second I was running around a jungle, the next...I'm in the sky. Flying."

Remus choked on his drink.

"Two? But, but- that's not possible?"

"What kind of bird were you?"

Harry scratched his ear. Oh Merlin.

"A...phoenix?"

Jaws dropped.

"Are you sure?"

"I flame-teleported somewhere, sang one of those phoenix songs and was pretty much bright red."

Sirius ran a hand through his slightly shorter hair. He whistled lowly.

"A phoenix and a panther. A phoenix a _nd_ a panther."

He exchanged a look with Remus as Harry chewed his lip anxiously. They seemed to come to an agreement and they both stood up. Remus beckoned Harry to follow them. He had a pensive expression.

"We need to talk to Dumbledore." He started but at Harry's apprehensive look, he amended it reassuringly. " It's just that this has never happened before and it could be dangerous. What if you shifted into a half phoenix, half panther?"

So, early Tuesday morning, in what should have been a party atmosphere, Sirius, Remus and Harry walked to Dumbledore's office in silence. Each were lost in thought.

"Blood pop." Remus said.

Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder in support as they stepped onto the griffin staircase. Harry quirked up the corner of his mouth in a sort of smile. The door to Dumbledore's office was already open. They stepped inside.

Fawkes was preening an unruly feather but looked up when they arrived. He cawed softly. Harry wondered if he could talk to Fawkes. But when he sang a short melody, Harry blanked. Although, while he may not have heard words, he did get a strong sense of curiosity.

Harry extended a hand and stroked Fawkes' head. The small phoenix butted his hand carefully and Harry smiled.

"Can I help you with anything?"

It took Harry a few moments to realise that Fawkes had not said that, and that Dumbledore had walked in. His long pyjamas were dark purple with yellow moons. Sirius grinned.

"Nice pyjamas, sir." Harry added.

"Thank you, my boy, it is at my age you just go for what makes you comfortable. Now what can I do for you at this unusual hour?"

"Well," Remus started. "So, you know that James and Sirius were animagi in school?"

"I did not for a while until I once saw a magnificent stag with a sleeping dog on it's back coming out of the forest. Then, I suspected."

"Well, we kinda decided to help Harry become an animagus." Sirius said, grinning.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I thought you would at some point." He turned to Harry. "It would help."

Harry agreed as Sirius spoke.

"Only, there was a- well not a problem, just a-"

"An unforseen occurrence." Remus said.

"What happened? Lemon drop?" Dumbledore lifted the bowl.

Sirius happily took one while Remus and Harry declined. Remus was the one to explain everything. Harry stared at his feet. Was he in trouble?

"Harry took the animagus potion last night. It worked well but when he woke up, there was a complication."

Remus breathed out.

"Harry thinks he has two animagus forms. One of them is magical.

Shocked, Dumbledore stroked his beard. He sat back in his chair. Fawkes cawed loudly.

"Which magical creature?"

"A phoenix." Sirius said. "Cool."

"A phoenix..." Dumbledore gasped in awe. "What happened in your dream, Harry?"

Harry recounted his dream in as much detail as he could. When he got to the crashing into the tree part, Sirius snorted. Harry rolled his eyes. He kept getting distracted. There was a whistling in his ears that was really piercing. It almost seemed to be coming from the desk. Dumbledore noticed his flickering eyes.

"Harry are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just that noise."

"Noise?"

"What noise?" said Sirius.

Harry flushed as all attention was on him. Well, it was anyway but now they were all staring at him. Harry pointed to the desk.

"The buzzing noise."

"Where is it coming from?" Said Dumbledore, suddenly looking very intrigued.

Harry took a step forward hesitantly. Dumbledore stood up and moved his high backed chair to the side. Harry took that as a sign to move around. He strained his ears but it was almost as if he could sense it. It had a signal that seemed to only draw in Harry. Drawer. It was coming from the... middle drawer. Harry gestured.

"In there."

Dumbledore quickly transfigured a piece of paper into a rubber glove. It glowed blue.

"Step back." Dumbledore warned.

They all obediently stepped back. Dumbledore pulled the drawer out and withdrew a strange black ring. It was whistling loudly. Harry gasped. He had seen that before. Sometimes when Voldemort had been torturing him, it was almost as if Harry would slip out of his body. He would have flashes, which he only found out later, were some of Voldemort's thoughts. It had been shut down instantly and Voldemort refused to cast the cruciatus again. He satisfied himself with cutters and the like.

But that ring was definitely familiar. Also, it seemed to glow. Could no one else see it? The aura was black with strands of green. Sirius was staring at it intently.

"Professor, where did you get that?"

Dumbledore regarded him for several seconds before answering.

"In Voldemort's mother's house. Last year's events and a recent talk with an old pal, Horace, got it started. I have had my suspicions but I think this confirms it, unless there could be another. Or more, knowing Tom..."

"Professor, what is that?"

"This? Tell me Harry, what can you sense about this?"

"Uh. It's glowing black and it's whistling."

"This, Harry, is dark magic. Very dark magic. Some of the worst that could be created. And I think it's Voldemort."

"What dark magic would Voldemort create?"

Harry said anxiously, staring at the ring. Sirius was still gazing at it. Remus had a steadily growing look of horror. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, Harry. I think that this _is_ Voldemort. Have you ever heard of a horcrux?"

"No." Harry replied.

"A horcrux is a piece of a soul in an object. It can be alive, I believe Herpo the Foul's horcrux was his pet Basilisk. A horcrux can control people, influence their decisions, and so much more. There hasn't been one in a couple centuries. Yet now..."

Harry stared.

"That's a piece of Voldemort's soul?" he said, disgusted and fascinated at the same time. "What do we do?"

"There are a few ways, like Fiendfyre and maybe the killing curse. Some poisons can but they would have to be strong and we don't keep those kinds in the castle."

"How many are there?" Remus breathed.

Dumbledore sat in his chair looking very old and tired.

"I'm not sure." he said eventually. "The process, the ritual, it is described as so consuming, it could kill to make one. Tom, however, would have done it multiple times. Seven is the strongest magical number."

"Seven?" Remus sat in a chair heavily.

"Well, now I'd say six."

The aged headmaster pulled out a battered book covered in various red and black stains. It had a ragged hole ripping right through the middle.

"The diary?"

Harry asked.

"It _was_ a horcrux."

"Was?" Sirius asked, seemingly coming back into himself. He still glanced at the ring every minute. Dumbledore seemingly observed this, and placed the ring in a bubble the same colour as the glove which he had now removed.

Something connected in Harry's brain.

"Wait, poison works?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"It would seem that basilisk venom does the job."

"And that ring is a horcrux. We need to destroy it!" Harry stood up.

"We'll need some venom." Remus warned gravely.

"We can just get some from the chamber." Harry said.

"It may be very dangerous."

"Harry doesn't need to go." Sirius said protectively.

"Yeah I do." Harry said.

"No we can just order some venom and destroy it ourselves. As in, you not being there. It could be too dangerous."

"Sirius, it takes ages to order that sort of poison. It could hurt people by then." Remus said.

"It's just a ring!"

Sirius yelled. They had all risen to loud voices without noticing. Harry had never fought with Sirius before and, even as he knew he was right, he was still a little worried. He was quite literally the only (proper) family Harry had left- though Harry still classed the Weasleys as his non-blood family. But this was Sirius- he wasn't like Uncle Vernon...he wouldn't hit him. Would he? Probably only if Harry deserved it...(he hoped he wouldn't). Sirius _had_ been in Azkaban. Harry shook off his worries. It didn't matter, not now.

"No, Sirius, it's not _just_ a ring. Have you ever met a horcrux? I have! It can possess good people into doing horrible things! It's a part of Voldemort! If I can survive 2 months alone with the real thing, I can deal with a horcrux!"

"You shouldn't have to." Sirius muttered, sinking back into his chair. He had slowly been rising.

"How else are we supposed to get the chamber open?"

"What chamber?"

"The chamber of secrets. Which only a parseltongue can enter. Which I know the location of. Which contains the dead basilisk, that's just _full_ of convenient venom!"

Sirius stood up them walked out. Harry stared. Remus rolled his eyes theatrically while Dumbledore shook his head. Harry didn't understand. Was Sirius mad at him? He understood though, didn't he? Maybe he's sick of your freakishness, a little voice in the back of his mind told him. Couldn't just do something normally, no, everything just has to be about you.

"Um..."

"Don't worry Harry," Remus sighed. "Sirius always was a drama queen. But yes, Harry, I agree. Though I think it's unfair for you to be involved, we do need you. We should set up a team as well to help."

"If we go tomorrow, I can have a few people organized by then." Dumbledore said.

Remus nodded. Harry didn't say anything.

"Is everyone free after dinner? Excellent. Well until then!" Dumbledore finished, gently dismissing them from his office, Sirius' footsteps still echoing around the griffin staircase.

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 ***Drops mic***

 **Review ples.**


	10. Books and Basilisks

**Whoo, double figures again. I wrote some of this using the microphone, it was so cool. I'm lying, it was so difficult.**

 **Happy new year!**

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Chapter 10

Sirius stayed in a mood for the rest of the day and the next. Harry didn't know what he had done wrong. They had just ended up not speaking to each other until it was time to retrieve the poison.

True to his word Dumbledore had assembled a team to go down into the chamber of secrets the next day. Well, sort of. It was just Tonks, Snape and McGonagall. Moody was coming along too. Harry arrived first in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore was waiting for them.

"Harry, are you ready?"

"Yes sir." Harry said. "Where's everyone else?"

"I expect they will be along soon."

There was a companiable silence. Harry turned over a question in his head as Fawkes flew through the window and settled comfortably on his perch, ruffling a few feathers in his tail.

"Sir? Are you an animagus?"

"I took the potion in my youth but never pursued it further. My form wasn't entirely useful. I could have done it for fun, but did not have the time. The war had just begun. Since then, I have simply just not been bothered."

"What was your form?"

"Alas. I took the potion eagerly, awaiting a form like one of yours. Then woke up with horns. My form was a goat."

Harry snorted.

"Sorry sir, but that's hilarious."

"That's quite alright. Apparently, your form reflects yourself. My brother, Aberforth, always told me I was stubborn. According to professor Snape, I will also eat everything, much like your friend Ronald. Bertie Botts have served me well. Did you know that's where I found my love for lemon drops?"

"I didn't know you had a brother." Harry remarked.

Dumbledore nodded. He had an odd, sad look on his face and Harry internally winced at his tactlessness. He quickly tried to change the subject.

"What about my forms, sir? Why do I have two?"

"I'm not sure, Harry. It was recorded that Merlin had 2 forms, though in another study, it was written that he just frequently used self-transfiguration."

Harry nodded.

"Your forms... I'd say that they both are useful. Panthers are fierce, cunning and quick, much like you. However, there hasn't been a magical animagus form on record since Morgana Le Fay herself, who was a white dragon."

"A dragon would be so great." Harry said.

"But think of the risks of transforming!"

"Imagine if you ended up with huge wings." Harry smiled.

"However I think your phoenix form will be easier. Phoenixes are incredibly loyal like you are. You said that you flamed in your dream?"

"Yeah, I was falling and didn't really know how to fly so I panicked and the next thing I knew, I was on a tree branch."

"That probably means you'll carry the magical traits. Healing tears, heavy loads, all that."

"What about the burning?"

"I do not know. Unfortunately we will have to wait and see what happens, or even if it does."

"Always the teacher Albus."

Professor McGonagall's voice rang out behind them. Harry whirled round. McGonagall stepped into the office, a small smile across her face. Tonks and Remus were chatting amicably behind them. She ran a hand over his arm and Harry could see his bright blush shine from a few meters away. Harry found himself looking for Sirius to give him 'the look' but, as he peered around Snape's scowling form entering, he couldn't see him.

"Where's Sirius?" he asked Remus.

"He's coming." Remus reassured. "He's just moody today."

"Alastor?" Tonks joked.

A few people chuckled but Harry bit his lip. They all waited, conversations blooming loudly. A door slamming had everyone jerking their heads up. Sirius walked in alongside Moody, with a scowl that rivalled Snape's.

"Let's go get this over with." he said, frowning.

Harry nodded and headed towards the door. Sirius span and walked away before Harry got too close. Harry faltered and his smile faded. He hurried forwards determinedly.

"You're walking too quickly." Harry said.

"You don't need to be up front." Sirius replied tonelessly.

"Yes, I do. Or do you know the way to the chamber yourself?" Harry said, annoyed.

"Fine." Sirius said, his tone implying that it wasn't fine at all. Harry'd had enough.

"Sirius, have I done something wrong?" he questioned impatiently.

He needed to know.

"What?" Sirius looked him in the eye, surprised. "No, no Harry _you_ haven't done anything!" He protested. "I'm just annoyed that you have to be involved in all of this, horcruxes and- and big snakes! We only wanted you to be an animagus and everything got complicated."

"I'm sorry?" Harry said, unsure of what Sirius was saying.

"No, it's not your fault. I just want you to have a normal life. I'm only angry at Voldemort and the prophecy, and you deserve so much better."

"Thanks Sirius." Harry smiled, and stopped once he saw where they were.

"Uh, Harry, these are the girls' toilets." Tonks said.

"I know." Harry shrugged. "The chamber is through here."

"How did you even find it in here?" McGonagall asked.

Harry's hand rested on the handle ready to go in.

"We came in to ask Myrtle how she died and she told us she saw some eyes by the sink." Harry said and McGonagall nodded stoutly.

"Come on Remus, it's not like we haven't been in the girls' bathroom before." Sirius grinned and they walked in.

"Harry!"

Harry withheld a groan.

"Hello Myrtle."

"You said you'd come back and visit!" she cooed, batting her eyelashes.

"Er-" Harry was stumped. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Sirius intervened. He flashed a roguish smile.

"Hey there, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, you may remember me from my school years here...?"

"Sirius Black!" Myrtle shrieked and the glug of water indicated she had flown straight into the u-bend.

"Or not." Remus snarked.

Harry snorted and quickly examined the taps.

"Half of the ghosts here should be exorcised. That peeves is nothing but trouble." Moody said.

Harry didn't know if he agreed or not so kept searching. It had been a few years and took a minute or two to find the marked one. He traced the snake engraving with his finger.

"Here it is."

"How does it open?" Dumbledore asked.

"I, uh, have to say open in parseltongue."

Only Tonks seemed shocked, as she was the only one who didn't know. Moody's magic eye span around in his head, aimed at the floor.

"A parselmouth?" She questioned, and Harry saw a brief flicker of unease in her eyes. He'd had enough of that in his second year.

"Yes. It's just another language Tonks. Just an ability I have, like being a metamorphmagus."

His voice was firm. Tonks nodded, quirking the side of her mouth up as a small apology. Harry took a few steps back.

" _Open_..."

He hissed, mentally focusing on the image of a snake. Everyone else cringed slightly at the harsh snake noise. The sinks cracked apart then, with a few jolty clunks, slid into the ground, leaving a gaping hole in the bathroom tiles.

"Woah." Said Remus. Even Snape looked fascinated.

"It's a little bit further once we get down there, come on." Harry bent his knees and was about to jump in when Sirius waved his hands in the air.

"What?"

"You can't go first!"

"But there's nothing alive down there anymore."

"One of us should go first."

"Fine, be my guest. Any volunteers to jump into the chamber of secrets first?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Dumbledore seemed to think it over as the rest shuffled. He stepped away from the joined Harry at the edge.

"Er- Sir are you sure?"

"I do love slides."

Dumbledore chuckled happily.

Harry smiled at his bizarre headmaster before remembering.

"Oh wait! That's not all. You land in loads of bones at the end and the tunnel walls are filthy. Cleaning charms don't really work."

A few of the people there turned green. Many anxious looks were directed to the black void. Dumbledore looked at his delicate light blue robes with a forlorn expression. He sighed.

"I liked these robes too."

He said sadly before sitting down and slipping down the tunnel. His cheers of fun echoed up to Harry who grinned.

"See you at the bottom!"

He said cheekily before actually jumping in. He nearly hit his head once he was in but he looked cool. It was just as slimy as he remembered as he hurtled below the school at many miles an hour. The pitch black darkness had him opening his eyes to try and see but there was nothing. A cold shiver encompassed his skin and suddenly it was difficult to breathe. His internal senses felt the tunnel level out and, holding his breath to wait out a panic attack, he shot out.

Years of Quidditch and knowledge of the chamber had him twist in the air and land in a careful crouch, the momentum almost toppling him. He stood up with shaky legs, and pulled out his wand. He was too deep in memories to think of the spell he needed but a light came out of his wand anyway. The surrounding area was lit up, Dumbledore was also powering a light spell. Harry swore that there were more skeletons on the floor than last time.

"Sir?"

Harry had to say something, anything to break the silence. The combination of the dark and lack of noise made him want to flee and hide at the same time.

"Are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine, Harry, though I didn't have a landing as splendid of yours."

"Who do you think is gonna be next?"

Harry smiled (though it was probably more of a grimace) and tried to keep his voice steady. He couldn't have a panic attack, not now! Dumbledore would see that he couldn't be entrusted with the prophecy, Sirius would probably be ashamed and Snape? Forget it, he'd never let it go. Breathe breathe breathebreathebreathe you'refineyou'refineyou'refine...

"I think either Sirius or Tonks, though they're probably daring Snape to go first."

He thought his voice was going to come out strong but it just came out loud. Harry winced. Dumbledore gave him an odd look but Harry was saved from an interrogation by a whoop that reverberated down the pipe.

"Sirius." Harry and Dumbledore said at the same time.

The yelling got closer until Sirius burst like a bullet across the chamber. He crashed at the other end. Skeletons were thrown up and fell around him like macabre confetti. Sirius groaned and stood up.

Tonks was next, followed by a red faced Remus and Moody, then surprisingly Snape. He had sprawled on the floor when he landed; Remus had tried to help him up but Snape had shook him off, cursing mutinously. McGonagall was last, managing to land primly on her feet. A few strands of hair from her tight bun were loose. They were all flushed.

"Th-this," Harry coughed to cover his stutter. "This way."

He gestured with his hand and they followed him through the eerie tunnel. Harry was too lost in his mind to realise that they had stopped. He turned round.

"What? Oh."

The snake skin that the Basilisk had shed before Harry had killed it was still there. While impressive, it was still about 20 feet shorter than the real thing. Snape looked like Christmas had come early. They were running their hands along the thick scales.

"Do you know how much this is worth?" Snape trailed off reverently.

Harry shrugged.

"So long as I can have like a jacket made out of it or something, I don't care. It's yours."

He kind of wanted to take that back as the idea of giving it to the Weasleys popped into his head. If it was worth so much, they surely deserved it. Ah well. Harry'd make sure they got the valuable things from the dead one. But something lit up in Snake's face.

"Thank you." He said stiffly before turning back to the skin and acting like it had never happened. Remus raised his eyebrows at Harry and his mouth made an upside down 'U' shape.

"Not too bad Potter, if this was the size of the snake you killed. Not bad kid." Moody said.

"Er...the actual chamber and snake is along this way."

It took a few minutes to drag Snape away from the valuable scales but they got him walking alongside the rest. Harry had forgotten about the other door, the round one with snakes on it. Their emerald eyes glittered in the wand light.

"How do you open this?" McGonagall asked.

"More parseltongue."

Harry answered, taking another one of his deep breaths to calm down. He said it without thinking, trying not to collapse.

"Open."

The door didn't move. Harry cocked his head to the side and pushed the side. It was still locked. He was confused.

"What?"

"Harry, you spoke in English." Dumbledore said.

"Oh, right." Harry said, embarrassed. They looked at him curiously.

Glancing into the snakes' eyes, it didn't take much to convince himself they were real. The way the eyes seemed to follow him around helped. The next time he spoke, it was a hiss that made the rest shudder. It was an involuntary reflex.

" _Open."_

With a click, the snakes moved out of place and the heavy door swung open (just a normal door, it wouldn't close unless he told it to, it was just a door). Harry jumped down the small stairs to the main floor. There were everlasting torches lining the walls so luckily he could power down his lumos spell. Not much had changed. The floor was wet and slimy, the ugly statue of Salazar Slytherin was at the end and the many sculptures of snakes surrounded them.

He heard the gasps of shock and rolled his eyes. They had seen the skin, what did they expect? He wandered over to where the carcass had slammed dead to the floor on it's back. It looked smaller than he remembered. He turned to Sirius and told him that.

"Are you mad?" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes wide. "This thing's bloody huge. What, 70, 80 foot long?"

"You were _twelve_..." McGonagall said, clutching her throat.

Harry shrugged. The snake had been rotting for a few years yet, apart from the smell and a couple gaps, you could barely tell.

"Magical creatures decompose slowly." Remus said, reading his expression. "How did you kill it again?"

"Gryffindor's sword through the brain." Harry replied casually.

"It's missing a tooth." Moody said gruffly, limping over to the mouth.

Harry exchanged a look with Remus. Harry 'vaguely' remembered what happened to the tooth.

"What? But that means there's less venom to sell." Snape examined it carefully. "Check around, it could have fallen out."

"The tooth didn't fall out, I still have it, and you're not selling the venom. The Weasleys are getting the profits from this, once we have all we need to kill the things."

Though the headmaster trusted everyone in the room, he hadn't told them about the horcruxes. Only Harry, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus knew. Although, Harry suspected Moody knew as well. Snape, Tonks and McGonagall seemed to be oblivious.

Snape spluttered. "Does your arrogance know no bounds? Basilisk venom is highly desirable and expensive!"

"Why do you deserve it over the Weasleys?"

"Because I am Hogwarts' potion master! The things I can do with that venom!"

"I don't doubt the things you can do with the venom," Harry said, his voice colder. "But you did nothing to help during second year. I don't see why you need some."

"Harry," Professor Dumbledore started. "Professor Snape can use the venom to create new potions. It's very rare, a basilisk hasn't been sighted in over 2 centuries. It could be combined with many potions to boost the results. It would be extremely helpful to all potioneers."

Harry thought about it seriously.

"You get one fang. Trust me, there's enough venom in one. But. Condition number 1- under no circumstances give it to Voldemort, I don't care if you say you're loyal. Number 2- Start working with the wolfsbane potion. If a cure can be found, I'm sure you can find it."

Snape spat out a few unintelligible insults in his anger.

"Not even one more fang, Harry?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"If he sells it, then he gets a good amount of money. If he wastes it on other potions, then he gets no more. If he works on the wolfsbane potion only and makes progress, maybe some more will be provided. It's all up to what he chooses."

"Very Slytherin of you Potter." Moody said. Was there pride in his tone? In a one-off session, he had told Harry that he was a Slytherin in school. He seemed to be proud of that fact and that he hadn't gone bad. Moody frequently told Harry that he'd make a good Slytherin if he just thought more. Harry accepted his (was it a compliment?) statement and nodded.

The chamber was quiet for some time. Snape was fuming yet you could see he was thinking about it. Dumbledore also was lost in thought. The rest of them were shearing off some of the scales with the gouging charm 'defodio'. Tonks seemed surprised he knew it.

"That's a spell usually taught in auror training. Helps to take off hinges on a locked door."

"Nice loophole." Harry said.

"So where actually is the missing fang?"

"In my trunk. It doesn't have any venom in it though."

"How did you get the venom out?"

Harry noticed everyone listening as they worked. Ah, they'd find out anyway.

"I didn't get it out. When it bit me, most of the venom went into my blood. The rest went into a diary. The tooth was stuck in my arm."

"What? You were bitten by a bloody basilisk? Harry!" Tonks screamed, her hair turning white.

"Not possible, you'd be dead!" Snapped Snape.

"No, Fawkes healed me. I was fine."

"Healed by a phoenix, bitten by a basilisk...jeez Harry."

"Your 'fine' is not our fine."

Remus added, yanking out the last remaining tooth with magic. The once ominous and, Harry admitted, magnificent snake now looked like an engorgioed worm. How the mighty fall. Snakes weren't all bad. The boa constrictor from when he was eleven was nice.

"That's the last of it."

McGonagall said, indicating the hovering piles of snake skin and teeth.

"That should definitely be enough." Dumbledore said happily. "Harry, if you'd lead us out."

Oh. It hit Harry like the Knight Bus.

"Uh, Professor, I don't know the way out. Last time, Fawkes just carried us all out."

Sirius' mouth dropped and Snape paled even further than his usual shade.

"How are gonna get out then?" Asked Tonks.

"There's got to be another way out, because Tom didn't have a phoenix and he got out."

Harry scanned the massive chamber, from it's dripping walls to it's smooth floors. The walls were smooth and rounded, the only door he could see was the one they came in. The ceiling, while rugged and wracked with stalactites, had no gaps either. He wandered over to the statue at the end.

"I have an idea but I don't know if it'll go anywhere." He told them quietly.

"We can only know if we try." McGonagall said.

Harry nodded.

"A lot more parseltongue." He added over his shoulder. Tonks put her fingers in her ears. Envisioning a snake, Harry loudly hissed.

 _"SSPEAK TO ME SSLYTHERIN, GREATESST OF HOGWARTSS' FOUR!"_

Hoping that the password worked even though he was lying, Harry was relieved when Slytherin's stone mouth fell open. When they'd stopped shuddering, the group joined him by the entrance.

"How did you know how to open this?" Moody asked.

"It's what Tom said when he set the basilisk loose. This was where it was kept."

Sirius and McGonagall both took steps back and Moody looked like he wanted to join them in backing away.

"I don't think there's anything in there. After all, it said that Slytherin had a monster, not monsters. Lumos!"

Harry breathed in through his nose and stepped forwards. A hand caught his shoulder.

"Harry wait. I'm a werewolf, I'll be able to smell danger before you can sense it, let me go first."

Harry conceded the logical point and stepped around. Remus raised his wand, sniffed, rolled his eyes and stepped into the small gap. Harry followed instantly, not leaving Remus in there alone.

"Wow."

Harry said, stopping dead, just as Remus had done. The circular room was amazing. Small but crammed with bookshelves facing inwards, a thick green carpet and light wooden panels for walls. A desk in the middle had a few quills on them but the ink had dried up in the wells and bottles. Obviously no one had been there in a while, not even Ginny when she was possessed in Harry's second year.

"This is crazy, who builds a library in the head of a statue of themselves." Sirius had been behind Harry.

"What _is_ this," Harry heard Remus exclaim. "It's all written in squiggles."

Remus held up a book for everyone to see.

"Shielding Charms From The Middle East by Regina Malum." Harry read that far before his head hurt.

"You can read this?" Said a shocked Dumbledore.

"Kinda but my head gets a bit fuzzy."

"Written Parseltongue..." Remus trailed off.

"There's the stairs up." Moody pointed out.

It was true. At the end of the bookshelves, a small spiral staircase led up. Harry stuck his head round. It seemed to go on for ages. Probably as long as the tunnel. Fun.

"We should go. It's getting late." Dumbledore said, checking his strange planet watch. "No news of this room goes to anyone else. It might not be safe. The could be like the diary."

For some reason, Harry instantly knew that none of the books down here were like the diary but it was getting late. He lagged behind waiting for the stairs to talk to Dumbledore.

"Sir, could I take a book with me? Just to read."

Dumbledore stroked his beard. After a minute, he nodded slowly.

"There is an almost certain guarantee that Tom has read most of these books. We should know the same information. Do any of these books feel like a," Dumbledore dropped his voice. "Horcrux? To you?"

"No." Harry said truthfully.

"Do any of them give off a bad aura that you can pick up on?"

"No, sir."

"Alright. I would prefer the book you choose to be suitable. No dark arts...at the moment."

That was reasonable though he wondered what he meant when he said 'at the moment'. Harry nodded and grabbed a random book of the nearest shelf.

"Fifty ways of defensive incapacitation with and without a wand, author unknown." He read out loud.

"That sounds interesting. But if it's dangerous Harry, please never use them on a student."

"Of course not, sir." Harry said, though the thought of Draco Malfoy crossed his mind. "Sir, do you think I can learn wandless magic?"

Harry tucked the book into his jumper as they climbed the unusually sturdy staircase, Dumbledore still talking.

"All magical children are born with the power to use wandless magic. But it is largely uncommon to have enough control over it and it manifests as accidental magic. Over time, the ability is lost. A few are able to do minor spells such as lumos or incendio. Remus, for example, is quite adept at a wandless incendio. But it is rare to use wandless spells in every day life and duels."

"Right." Harry said, hope fading.

"However, Harry, you said you controlled your magic as a child. That is why you require a power suppressor as by suppressing it as a child, it would have built up. That amount of power could be unreliable and harmful, no fault on your part." He added.

Kind of is though, Harry thought.

"You have the power and the control so yes... you could be a very powerful wandless caster. You could ask Remus to teach you how to do incendio...that should teach you the basics. From then on, I will teach and help you with wandless magic. As far as I am aware, only myself and Tom are capable of wandless dueling. Yet that wandless blue shield you can create tells a different story."

"Thanks sir."

"We're at the top but the bloody door won't open! Potter! Come hiss at it!" Moody's voice roared down.

Harry laughed and edged his way to the top, getting WAY more closer to his transfiguration teacher than he would have liked. After hissing 'open' (Slytherin needed more inventive passwords) at the wall, it shifted out and to the side. Harry walked through.

They were back in Myrtle's bathroom, coming out of the opposite wall to the now back in place sinks. A large chunk of the wall had just slid away, revealing the staircase. Perhaps a nicer way to get to the chamber. Harry couldn't really see in his mind's eye, a young Tom Riddle jumping down a slide to go plot murder.

After saying his goodbyes and goodnights (though technically it was morning when he cast a tempus), Harry snuck into his dorm bed, smoothly pulling the curtains together so the metal rings at the top didn't clink.

Then, after a failed wandless lumos, Harry gave up and silently cast one to read his strange book of squiggles that for some reason, he understood.

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 **Lol I wrote 'snapped snape' in this. Ha.**

 **HEY YOU! PERSON READING MY FIC. I KNOW YOU'RE READING IT, THERE'S A LOTTA PEOPLE FOLLOWING IT. Before you scoff and be like, 'goddamn author's notes' JUST WAIT. Drop a review on this. Even if it's just one word. Longest review gets a nice message in the next chapter, and maybe a few hints about what will happen next! Thank you for reviewing if you just did and if you ignore this entire message, well...you're a butt sniffer! *runs away ***

 **This is a ton of words, no wonder my page is so laggy**


	11. Maps and Plants

**Thank you for all the reviews, you have no idea how awesome it is to get them. Like, i wake up and BAM! There's loads of people telling me how much they love me. Very uplifting. Sooo, after much (nah not really) consideration, the longest and probably nicest reviews go to RumblingElm and Tena95. Thanks.**

 **I hope 2017 is good for all of ya out there.**

 **Onwards!**

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Chapter 11

"-and on, and on, and on... until Hookcraw the bloody... became the victor and built seven castles ... but they fell down soon after under attack... from Kilbreeth the slayer-"

Harry adjusted Ron, who was deeply in sleep on his left shoulder, so he wasn't leaning on a bruise Harry had got from his personal training. He wrinkled his nose at the drool falling onto his shirt.

Hermione scowled at them, taking her History notes at a rapid pace (for them, that is, normal for Hermione). Meanwhile, Harry carried on with his list. He was planning every training session until Christmas, which was due in just over three weeks (December had arrived with a light dusting of snow, so the entire castle looked like it was covered in icing sugar).

He tapped the nib of his quill on his finger whilst in thought. The small prickles helped him think. It was a reasonable decision, he thought. They would be very useful. Death eaters use them, why shouldn't he?

Harry bit his lip and wrote under the second Monday; he may as well try the unforgivables. He had to kill, didn't he? Harry wasn't sure they deserved such a quick way out but they would still be useful. He knew the words and movements by memory.

Ron snorted. Harry closed his notebook and placed it in his bag. Arching his right arm over, Harry placed the end of the feather on Ron's nose. Then tickled slightly. Ron sniffed loudly and sleepily jerked his head to the side.

Harry brushed it against his chin. Ron dug his forehead into Harry's arm to get away from it. Hermione was watching it happen out the corner of her eye with amusement and most of the class were openly looking. Wasn't as if anyone but Hermione was listening.

Ron's mouth opened a bit. Harry went back to his nose, noticing that Ron's hand was twitching up with every tickle. He wished he had some whipped cream to put on his palm, like he saw on one of Dudley's shows once. But there was no time, as the final poke had Ron's arm flying up. He hit his face, knocking himself off of his chair. Giggles were stifled across the room.

Binns' droning ceased and the ghost looked around, seemingly confused; he couldn't see Ron under the table.

"Pssst!"

A hushed voice came from the door. Fred stuck his head round, a mischievous grin on his freckled face. Binns resumed his speech. Fred pointed to Ron and Harry and beckoned them over. Ron shrugged at Harry. He conceded- it wasn't like they were learning.

"Professor?" Ron said loudly.

Binns absently looked up.

"Yes, Wallace?"

"I've broken my leg, can I go to the nurse?" Ron said boldly.

Harry smiled as Hermione's eyebrows flew up.

Binns nodded and waved him off before carrying on. Hermione looked astonished and even slightly proud. Ron got up and, without a hint of a limp, walked confidently out the door. Seamus Finnegan had buried his head in his arms to muffle his giggles as did many others. Harry, shaking his head, didn't bother to excuse himself. He patted Hermione on the shoulder.

"We'll meet you in Herbology."

He whispered before following Ron's lead. The buzz of Binns' waffling was muted once the door was shut. Harry creased up in the corridor. Ron was still grinning happily.

"Never tried that one before." George snorted.

"What do you want?" Ron asked, his words stretched through his smile.

"Do we not need an excuse to check up on our little brother?" Said Fred.

"And honorary brother?" George added.

Harry smiled. Those words meant a lot to him. Ron knew this and grinned at him.

"But seriously though, what do you want?" Said Ron.

"You doubt our integrity?" George said, a hand on his chest in mock shock.

"Ron, we have never been so offended-" Fred agreed.

"Yeah, right. Spit it out or I'll send you into Binns' class- he can't tell the difference!" Ron snarked.

"Alright, alright. Harry, can we borrow the map for a few hours?"

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"I guess, but what for?"

The twins exchanged looks,

"Have you noticed Malfoy acting weirdly?" Fred asked, deadly serious.

"Not any more than usual, why?" Ron replied, intrigued.

"He's just been slinking about lately, looking strange. We heard him talking to himself in the bathrooms."

"You think he's up to something." Harry said, handing the Marauders' map over.

The twins nodded.

"We'll keep an eye on him. What do you have next?" George said, changing the subject.

"Herbology." Harry and Ron said at the same time.

"Do you have Malfoy then?" Fred asked.

"Nah, we're with the Hufflepuffs."

"Alright. We'll return it at dinner. Bye!"

They turned and left, the map already unlocked, poring over it. Harry let his eyes fall to the floor and fade out, lost in a flurry of possible scenarios. What could possibly be wrong with Malfoy? Ron shrugged as if answering his question and waved goodbye to Hermione through the gap in the door.

The greenhouses were warm inside, which was strange, as Harry and Ron were covered in snow from a brief snowball fight on the way there. There wasn't enough snow for a proper fight, they had to scrape small layers off of windowsills and mush them together. Harry couldn't wait until it properly chucked it down, a flurry of white that made Hogwarts even more magical. He loved everything about snow- except for the cold. Winters had always been so cold on Privet Drive and at Hogwarts, in Scotland? Bloody freezing.

By the time Professor Sprout arrived, a young assistant teacher behind her by the look of it, the heat of the greenhouse had made everyone very drowsy. Harry likened it to the effect that the Gryffindor fireplace had in winter. He wondered if any of the other common rooms had fireplaces- he dimly remembered the Slytherins having one. Where did their chimney come out? Harry filed that thought away to check out later when Professor Sprout started talking.

"Sorry, sorry I'm late. Just had to sort out some things. But now, onto the lesson."

It was a fun lesson; they had to try and get some Bagwither Bonsais to go into hibernation for the winter. Ron was hesitantly petting the leaves of his, grimacing at the pungent smell they gave off. Like sewage and socks, Harry thought, poking the tiny trunk. It whipped a branch round and bopped him on the nose. Harry jerked back, a quiet curse making Ron snort and Ernie Macmillan, who was on his other side, chuckle.

He observed everyone else: Hermione was humming to hers and tracing lazy circles in the air with the lighted tip of her wand while Seamus' was flailing wildly as he jabbered rapidly at it. A few Hufflepuff boys and Neville were singing quietly to them. Neville's face was red with embarrassment but then pride as his was the first to fall forward in sleep.

Harry quirked his bottom lip upwards at Ron, who wrinkled his nose. They got down to their knees. Ron cleared his throat and began mumbling out an old tune Harry didn't recognize. He caught a few words, like dragon and spell, and assumed it was some sort of Wizarding lullaby. It was sung pretty well. Harry sent a thumbs up to his best friend. Ron's ears went a furious red shade. Harry turned to his and quietly sang the first lullaby (and probably only) that came to mind. He couldn't exactly remember the tune and it came out rather flat. He had heard Aunt Petunia sing it to Dudley when he was young from downstairs.

Ron snorted.

"Harry, mate, you sound like that blast ended skrewt that Hagrid sat on last year."

Harry laughed slightly.

"You just can't appreciate my talent for singing."

Harry sniffed before resuming his toneless melody. A conversation behind him was struck up in hushed voices. One of them, Harry assumed, was the assistant and the other was Sprout. In the hubbub of students singing and humming, their fast paced conversation seemed out of place.

"-an Bones, one of mine, yes. It was awful. Pomfrey is healing her up but, I should have been there. I should still be there, they're like my children." Sprout whispered sadly.

"How bad was it?" The assistant asked, her wavering voice clearly conveying worry.

"Susan was found unconscious in a corridor. She'd likely fallen down the stairs, and hit her head on a wall." Sprout sniffled a bit.

"I always said these stairs were deathtraps, especially when I was here." The lady said.

"Which house were you in again, dear?"

"Oh, right, I was in Ravenclaw. Uh, should that be happening?"

Harry glanced backwards to see her silvery eyes widen. She pointed over the table. Harry followed her finger.

"Euch!"

Seamus spat a mouthful of something green on the floor, his face screwed up in disgust. Sprout bustled over. His tree was still waving erratically in it's tray.

"Mr Finnegan, you are meant to calm it, not antagonize it! You need to go to Madame Pomfrey now and get a potion, or the taste won't leave for hours."

"Should I escort-?" The assistant piped up, tucking her short black hair behind her ears awkwardly, as she hovered behind them.

"Yes, yes." Professor Sprout waved them off cheerfully.

Seamus was still retching as he was led out. Harry was extra careful with his plant after that, as was the rest of the class. He was a little dismayed that Susan was in the hospital wing, she was a nice girl. The epitome of a Hufflepuff and a bloody good duelist in the DA. He hoped she would make the meeting that night.

As it turned out, she did, and Harry patted her on the shoulder as she walked in with her friend Hannah.

"You okay Susan? I heard that you took a tumble."

Susan nodded. "I'm okay."

"That's good." Harry said warmly before he saw Sirius beckoning him over. "Got to go, enjoy the meeting."

He hurried over to his godfather as more people turned up.

"What?"

"Who's that?" Sirius wiggled his nose.

"What are you up to? You know who that 's Susan Bones."

"Susan, eh?" Sirius smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"We're just friends, we barely even talk outside of Herbology or the DA."

Sirius refused to stop wiggling and Harry sent an SOS look to Remus on the other side of the hall. A couple seconds later, Sirius' hair went pink. He didn't notice, but stopped dancing once some students started giggling at him. He pulled up a lock of hair and blinked. He span around to see Remus whistling innocently.

"Trying to make me look like darling Nymphadora, are we?" Sirius called.

Harry grinned as Remus shook his head almost frantically, all jokes gone.

"He's in denial," Sirius whispered, "Bloody muppet."

The DA meeting was quite short. Harry noted suspiciously in his mind that Malfoy was absent. He had left the returned Marauders' map in his room. In fact, it had slipped under his bed. Harry knew this because he had heard the clinks as it brushed the many empty vials. He had refreshed his supply every few weeks, and had a regretfully strict routine so as to not get addicted. The underside of his bed felt like a potions classroom; he needed to clean it up, probably before Christmas.

When the last student had mastered the stunning curse, the students dispersed. Harry hung back to be with his family as his friends went to bed. By the hidden irritated look on Ron's face, Harry suspected he was jealous of the ease that Harry could just _be_ with family. And maybe homesick too. Well, Christmas was coming soon. He only hoped there wouldn't be an argument beforehand, he didn't think his anxiety could take it.

Sirius threw a training ball (for moving targets) to him with a warning holler. Harry caught it with ease and lobbed it forward to Remus. They worked with fluidity and precision until the Hall looked ready for breakfast the following morning. Sirius slumped against the wall and slid down.

"I'm tired." He whined, smiling at Harry to get him in with the joke.

Harry just rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Remus, you've influenced him too much!" Sirius declared.

"Trust me; it's a good thing with you around. I always said I needed two of me to keep you and James in check."

"Fair enough." Sirius said, and a solemn air descended at the mention of Harry's dad.

"When's Christmas coming?" Sirius quickly pouted.

Harry knew that Sirius and Bellatrix were related, hell they were cousins or third cousins. Their family tree was a little messed up, what with the cousins marrying cousins and all that.

However, he didn't expect their facial expressions to be so similar. When Sirius pouted, Harry resisted the urge to back away. He settled for a small flinch. Calm down, he told himself. Bellatrix's pout meant pain. Sirius' meant humour. Deal with it.

"On the 25th." Harry said quickly, keeping the funny joke going.

"No, I know that. But I want it now! It'll be my first Christmas free! I can do all my Christmas shopping!"

"You haven't already?" Harry asked.

"We still have weeks!" Sirius protested.

"I got all mine done last month." Said Harry.

"Ha, I did all mine in October." Remus bragged, smiling.

"This isn't a quiz on who's more prepared." Sirius muttered. "But…what did you get for Molly? I have no idea what to get her; I don't think she likes me very much."

Harry blinked. Mrs. Weasley didn't like Sirius?

"She does like you; she's just a little overprotective of Harry," Remus said calmly, "Most of the order is- even Moody."

"Nah, they're not." Harry said. They were probably already sick of him screwing up. "But going back to Christmas, where are we going for it?"

Remus shrugged, brushing off Harry's comment as shy.

"Probably the burrow, there's enough room, and I can't see Molly having us anywhere else."

Harry grinned. That was one thing he was especially worrying about. Ron had always spoken reverently about Christmas at home. Christmas at Hogwarts was absolutely stunning, so much food and the decorations were just amazing. Yet, Christmas, at home, with friends and family? Sounded so much better. During the last week of summer, Harry's only week of summer to be honest, Mrs. Weasley had insisted that he came ' _home_ ' this year. Harry was looking forward to it more than he could believe and he desperately wanted Remus and Sirius to be there too. They dissolved into gift ideas for Molly- ranging from a life size Gilderoy Lockheart figure to a massive family album.

It looked like everything was sorted for the upcoming holidays. For now.

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 **OKAY. SO. I'm currently (thoroughly) planning out a new fic. I'm kinda obsessed with it right now. Every moment is spent coming up with another plot line. I'll probably do all seven years. The main character is not Harry Potter. I don't think anyone else has done this, and I'm not gonna look in case I get disheartened. Fics nowadays barely ever get finished so hopefully I'll be the first.**

 **I got these fluffy knee high socks ermagaud they're awesome.**

 **I'M 30 REVIEWS AWAY FROM 100 WE CAN DO THIS!**


	12. Rings and Red Eyes

**UPDATE- I FIXED THE MISTAKE IN THIS CHAPTER. I ACCIDENTLY WROTE LOCKET INTEAD OF RING, I'LL FIX IT!**

 **Bro this is a really good chapter. Took a while to write but yeah. Es muy bueno en mi opinion.**

 **So. I was in the shower- calm down you dirty minded people- and I came up with a fic. I've been planning it. I'm gonna write it soon. It'll be a hbp ending onwards.**

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Chapter 12

Harry was trying to fall asleep. Trying. Come on, it was eleven o'clock. He was 'supposed' to get at least 7 hours. In theory. Nowadays anything over three hours was pretty decent. He had learnt as a child that it was four hours for the mind and four hours for the body. Did they happen both at once, or one after the other? Which came first? No, Harry told himself. Shh. Sleep. Please. Sleep.

Eyes firmly jammed shut, head on the cool side of the pillow, legs tucked up, everything! Nothing. He tossed over to his other side, his arm going numb, and sighed deeply, as if one breath could expel all his partying thoughts. From the other side of the room, Neville snorted in his sleep like a bear. Harry blinked slowly and deliberately. Then he gradually sat up. Harry swung his legs off the side of the bed and grabbed the marauders map. A stroll might tire him out?

Yeah, right, thought Harry as he wandered through the dark common room, the moon lighting all the reflective surfaces. Dying embers in the fireplace watched him edge round and climb through the portrait.

"Bit late for a stroll," The Fat Lady remarked crossly, "I won't stay open all night!"

"Yeah, okay."

Harry muttered practically silently. He walked past a large bookcase, scanning for titles he recognised. Harry was disappointed to see nothing familiar. He needed to catch up on so much magic, he was a first year to the wizarding world.

His parseltongue book was... Interesting. He didn't think he could read more than two chapters before his eyes starting to blur and lose focus. But what he had read was quite useful albeit a little disturbing.

It had started with the author's notes on the subject and they had included some pretty graphic details about their experiments regarding the testing of their spells. Harry had came across what seemed to be a description of a spell a few pages in; if there was one thing the book definitely wasn't, it was defensive. The spell for 'incapacitation' certainly incapacitated...by blowing someone's eyes out! The spell wasn't even a proper word. It was more of a hiss. 'Sthrass'. Still, useful. He'd practise it later.

A low pop behind him made him start. The word for the spell he was contemplating was literally just on his lips. Merlin. He could've, he could've...

"Dobby." Harry greeted quietly.

"Mr Harry Potter sir! Miss Tonksy tolds Dobby to fetch you!"

Harry snorted at the word Tonks' nickname and asked:

"Where is she Dobby?"

"Dobby will bring you."

Dobby babbled, his ears flapping. He took Harry's hand enthusiastically. Suddenly, Harry remembered something.

"Dobby wait!"

Harry exclaimed. Dobby turned to him, tennis ball eyes looking admiringly at his hero. Harry shifted.

"Uh, you know last month you put a load of cake in the gryffindor common room? Can we do it again? It's the same day we did it last time. Er. The kids seemed to like it."

Dobby nodded, smiling widely. He was a good elf even if he was a bit quirky. Especially because he was a bit quirky. And a good friend.

"Dobby will do it straight after helping Mr Harry Potter sir to Tonksy."

Then they disappeared in a world full of spongy whirling colours and Harry landed outside Dumbledore's office with an forced exhale of breath. It felt like there was water in his nose. Elf apparition was strange; it was still uncomfortable but it wasn't as crazy as human apparition.

"Thanks Dobby." Harry coughed.

"Dobby would do anything for Mr Harry Potter sir!" Dobby squealed, eyes shining.

"Er- you don't have to call me all that Dobby, we're, um, friends? It's just Harry."

"Harry Potter called Dobby his friend?" Dobby's lip wobbled.

With that Dobby broke down in tears on Harry's legs. Harry stared. He patted Dobby on the head awkwardly.

"Um. Where did you say Tonks was?" Said Harry.

Dobby sniffed, loud and watery. Then he stood up on legs so wobbly Harry thought they could snap. Harry let the strange elf lead him up the stairs, hearing voices on the other side of the slightly ajar door.

Harry knocked before pushing the door open. Remus was sat on Dumbledore's desk chatting to Tonks. Above them, smoky pink hearts flew. It didn't take a genius to spot Sirius twirling his wand subtly. Sirius winked at him. Harry greeted Dumbledore, who for once was not decked out in ludicrously coloured pyjamas. He was in long thick robes that looked tough.

"Thank you Dobby."

Dumbledore said kindly. The elf just blubbered at the additional praise before hugging Harry's knees and disapparating. Harry shrugged at Dumbeldore's humorous blue eyes. With Dobby, it was normal.

"What's this then?" Harry asked, as Sirius got up and ruffled his hair from behind.

"We're gonna destroy that Horcrux. Kaboom!" Sirius threw his hands up in a mockery of an explosion. "We were gonna yesterday but Remus and I had to hold like a bazillion detentions. Now we're all here, let's go." Sirius told him.

"Are we gonna do it here?"

"No, there's too much magical energy from some of my objects. The chamber of secrets seems safer, away from the students."

Dumbledore said, as he levitated the ring out of the desk, in the bubble. Tonks hopped over, basilisk fang in hand. Remus wisely offered to hold it for her on the way.

In no time at all, they were once again in the barren pit of stone under the school. Hurry kicked a rat skull, relishing in the satisfying noise of it chipping across the hard floor.

"So, do we just stab it or what?"

Tonks cocked her head to the side. Remus shrugged and stepped forward, gripping the tooth tightly in his fist. Harry frowned. It seemed a bit anticlimactic. This was part of Voldemort's soul! Where was the theatricality Harry knew and hated about the Dark Lord?

Remus lowered himself to his knees and raise the fang above his head. Harry had a strange daydream about Remus missing and stabbing himself in the head. He blinked and shook it off, where had that come from? Remus was in control. It was going to be okay.

"Hurry, Remus." Dumbledore whispered, a boom in the silent chamber.

Remus complied.

With a steady hand, he forcefully plunged it down towards the innocent looking ring. Harry almost expected a scream. From Remus or the horcrux, he didn't know. Turns out, it didn't matter.

A mysterious light seeped out of it, dark and dangerous and flung Remus backwards. He hit his head on a tall grubby pillar with a sickening crack. Sirius ran over, apace with Tonks. Harry kept his eyes fixed on the ring. It just seemed so... familiar. He vaguely saw Remus being heaved up out of the corner of his eye. The fang had been flung aside during the debacle and Harry bent down to retrieve it.

Dumbledore had a very serious look in his blue eyes, a shadow over him dimming their light. There was a strange glow covering the ring, red and bubbly.

"Perhaps that needs to be removed." He mused.

"How? It just throws us."

Remus groaned, holding a hand to his head. It looked like there was a nasty bump there but no blood. Good. He'd be alright.

"So why would You-know-who protect it like that?" Tonks grumbled. "What if he wants it back or something?"

"He would have made it something only he could remove." Harry said slowly. "Like the chamber of secrets."

He caught Sirius' eye.

"No!" Sirius said angrily. "You were great, getting us in here, you were, but I draw the line here. You could get hurt!"

"What?" Remus said, still a little dazed.

"It is a magical bubble therefore needs to be opened in a special way. Voldemort can speak parseltongue, it can't be properly replicated to have effect by others not born of the power." Dumbledore said solemnly.

Recognition dawned on Remus' face.

"No, Harry can't do it! It's too dangerous and we agreed I was going to do it!"

"There's no other way!" Harry said. "Unless you wanna ask Voldemort to get rid of it himself, just a little hiss for us..." He added sarcastically.

"You could get hurt." Dumbledore said quietly to himself.

"It doesn't matter." Harry waved off. "I've killed one before, it should be the same. Right?" He asked the pensive headmaster. Tonks raised her eyebrows at the flippancy and was about to speak up but Dumbledore was already talking.

"It could. But there would most likely be more protection on this one, it is an heirloom of Voldemort's magical family, the Gaunts."

Harry sighed. So? If he kills it, great. If it kills him, well, would that complete the prophecy? One way to find out.

Harry stepped forward.

Sirius grabbed his arm.

"You don't have to do this." He pleaded.

"Who else can?" Harry said. "Maybe everyone should step back a little."

They complied, taking steps behind a few of the supporting pillars. Sirius shook his head, his face a touching mix of anger and concern. No one had really looked at Harry like that before. Would his Dad have that expression?

Harry swallowed, eyes fixated on the small ring lying limp on the bare stone. The tarnished gold inlaid with a scratched black stone seemed to watch him. He dimly wondered if Dobby had finished putting all the cakes in his common room for all the kids.

" _Leave_." Harry hissed.

The red glow winked out of existence soundlessly.

The ring began to spin in a circle, leaning on the stone.

Then all hell broke loose.

A whirlwind of thick dust flung itself out of nowhere. It formed a circle around Harry and got taller, faster. The noise was roaring and yet Harry could hear an incoherent whisper wiggling into his mind. He caught a glimpse of a desperate Sirius trying to get through the wild wall before it went opaque.

He was trapped in a furious tube of grey, silent in the middle. He stepped forward. A snort echoed behind him. Harry spun around.

Tom Riddle stared back at him with a sly smirk.

"Tom." Harry said.

"Harry. It's been a while."

Tom greeted coldly in his young and charming voice.

"For us it was around 3 years ago. But for _us_..."

His image rippled, once handsome, into the snake faced monster from the present, a face Harry knew far better than his own. He lifted a cold dead-looking hand up to Harry's face.

Harry couldn't breathe. He knew it wasn't real, he knew, he knew, _please_... His eyes were fixed upon the floor, the screaming urge to move away from the repulsive creature.

"I was so angry when you left us Harry..."

Voldemort breathed, running his hand across Harry's cheek with feather light touches. Each time the small tingle of touch rippled across Harry's skin, it crawled. His arms twitched as tens, hundreds, thousands of memories flooded through his mind.

Harry was vomiting blood with Voldemort's shoe pressing down on his neck. Cold, high, cruel, sadistic laughter. A screw effortlessly burrowing through his chest, Harry unable to move from his body bind, jaw locked in a silent scream that could never convey the agony that ripped through his very soul. A dazzling glint of white teeth after the first beam of light Harry had seen in days shone through, hurting his bloodshot eyes. His stringy blue-red veins peeled slowly, so slowly, out of his wrists...

Harry scrambled backwards, bile rising in his tight throat. Voldemort smiled condescendingly.

"You can't run, Harry."

His hands were on his shoulders behind him.

"You won't run."

A cold ghost of speech in his ear.

"You can never run because we will always have you."

"N-no."

Harry pitched forward, hitting his chin hard on the floor with a smack. He crawled backwards on his hands like he was possessed. He barely remembered the fang in his hand, the ring right by it.

"Harry, we will always have a part of you. Skin and soul." He hissed maliciously.

The elongated body morphed into...Sirius?

The doppelganger clicked it's tongue.

"You look so much like him. Your father. But... He's dead, isn't he?"

The tone of voice rose.

"Isn't he?"

Sirius shouted, eyes blood red.

Harry flinched and nodded.

Sirius squatted down by him, nodding mockingly. He grabbed Harry by the throat.

"You put him there! I told him he shouldn't have had a child! He was too young! It was supposed to be him and me and Lily and the rest of the marauders! There was a war!"

Sirius was screaming into Harry's face, spit flying on him the way it used to when his Uncle got mad. Harry felt his eyes prickle and closed them.

"We didn't have time for a snivelling brat forcing us to stay home when we could be saving lives! But, alas, there was no one qualified to get the little _rat_ out of her. Then you were born. And they were already cursed to die."

He let go of Harry, pushing his face backwards. Harry fell to his elbows. His mind was blank but racing at the same time. What- What, what was wrong with him?

"You're not real." Harry whispered weakly.

"What? Harry of course, I'm real, idiot."

A bold feminine voice struck him. Harry opened his eyes, unaware of closing them. Ginny stood over him, hands on her hips. She smiled.

"What are you doing lazing down there?"

"Ginny." Harry mumbled, his messed up mind a wreck. "I don't understand."

"Come on, get up."

She outstretched a hand. Harry lifted his arm so she could help pull him up as he didn't think his legs could work right then. His rough hand passed through her delicate one like water.

She smiled at him sympathetically. Crimson irises.

"That's how it's gotta be, Harry. We're too different. I'm an excellent student, powerful witch, star quidditch player, pure blood, beautiful in so many ways."

Harry blinked. The shaking in his hands increased as he lowered his arm.

"And you?"

Ginny continued her speech.

"Well, you're just a bit pathetic aren't you? And hideous with all those scars across your face. You've ruthlessly killed a lot of people- people with families, might I add- and yet you still dream about being beaten by your muggle Uncle? You cut yourself, but are too much of a _coward_ to finish the job. You're nothing but a killer. Nothing but a tool. Nothing. And you think that I could ever love you? Don't make me laugh."

With that, she simply shrugged and withdrew her wand.

"In fact, Potter, I think it's time you remember what a real pure blood spell is like. Cru-"

Out of a base primal instinct drilled into him by that syllable, Harry snapped. Two things connected in his scattered brain. Fang. Ring. Harry rolled onto his knees and cracked the ring clean in half with the force of the venomous tooth.

A horrific scream ripped our of the Ginny lookalike, before she evaporated in black smoke. The grey barrier thinned until his friends were visible. They rushed over to him.

"Harry, look at me!"

Sirius touched his shoulder and Harry flinched. For the first time, they noticed.

"Harry, c'mon pup, look at me." Sirius' tone had softened worryingly.

Harry didn't think he could speak. What could someone normal say after all that? But Harry couldn't be normal. He had to reassure them he could still work. He could still do the task set for him.

Harry nodded. He kept it quick enough to be convincing but not desperate.

"Yeah." Harry found his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just smacked my head on the floor and got a little dizzy."

"You do have a bruise on your chin." Sirius said, relaxing a bit. "How did you fall?"

Harry furrowed his brow, confused.

"Couldn't you see anything?"

"No, that smoke thing kept us out, not even Albus could get through. We couldn't hear anything either. Why?"

"Just wanted to know of anything happened on the outside." Harry said.

"What happened on the inside?" Sirius said, unknowingly tensing his grip on Harry's arm.

Harry looked deeply into his godfather's silvery eyes. The grip hurt his cuts a little but he leant into the pain. It was nice and from Sirius, so it must mean something.

"Nothing, I just lost my balance for a second in the whirlwind. I got back up and stabbed the thing."

"It's definitely dead." Remus said behind them, holding the two broken halves up in his palms.

"Cool." Sirius grinned as Harry tried to replicate it. "Two down, five more to go!"

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 **The reason it took so long was because this was an angsty chapter and I had to be in an angsty mood. But whenever I felt angsty, I couldn't be bothered to write. Do you see my dilemma?**

 **Thank you all for the reviews, especially to one guest who gave a really lovely review. Seriously, get an account and PM me because I wanna give you a virtual hug. I was having a bad day (when am I not) and it brought a smile. Just, thanks.**

 **(nah but siriusly isn't this chapter worth the wait?)**


	13. Conversations and Owls

**Mooorrrrrrrning. I aced my Spanish, thank you for the wishes of luck. I got 33/35, I'm pretty satisfied with that. Wish the higher maths papers were that easy.**

 **How do ya like the new artwork? Yeah, it's awful, but I did it on my phone, during lunch break. It doesn't get much better than that.**

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Chapter 13

Harry threw his quill through his curtain, across the room. Why was history homework so boring? Hermione didn't even look up as he and Ron sniggered.

"If you're done with history, Harry, why don't you start on Potions?" Hermione murmured.

"Oh, what an amazing idea, Hermione." Harry said sarcastically.

"I'm taking a break too 'Mione." Ron agreed, lobbing his quill behind his head.

Hermione lifted her head up.

"I bought you that quill!" She said indignantly.

Ron blanched up to his ears and scrabbled off his bed to retrieve it. Harry chuckled as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, I guess I'm at a good place in my essay to stop. I could finish it over the Christmas break in a couple days. Really, I need another book to finish this section-" Hermione started.

"But who cares, right?" Ron eased the parchment out of her ink-spotted hands.

"But the library is shut now." She corrected.

"That's a real shame, 'Mione. Now you'll have to hang out with us in the kitchens for the rest of the night." Ron tickled her under her chin.

"A terrible fate!" Harry declared dramatically as Hermione screamed at Ron to stop tickling her.

"What's going on- oh." Neville, on his way to bed, stuck his head through the curtain and blushed, before ducking away.

"Now look what you've done." Hermione choked out inbetween snorts.

Ron poked her in the stomach then yawned widely.

"I don't know, Harry. I'm actually really tired now. I think I'll just stay here." Ron said, in an obviously fake voice.

"And if I offered to bring food up here?" Harry deadpanned.

"Oh well, only if you feel like it, no pressure." Ron grinned. "Throw in some cake and make it snappy."

"I'm on it, I'm on it. 'Mione?"

Hermione stretched like a cat and flopped down onto the bed, her chin on Ron's arm. She blinked slowly and meaningfully.

"Alright. I'll be back in a while. I have to go feed Hedwig for a few minutes before though." Harry said.

Ron laid his head on top of Hermione's, an innocent grin stretched across his freckles.

"Take your time." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Harry bent down and threw his sneakoscope at him. Ron slapped it aside, neither grinning boy noticing the whirring of the dial upon it.

The Owlrey was nearly empty when Harry arrived, owl pellets in hand. He neared the door then stopped. Voices. A rapid low tone. Harry melted in to the wall shadows and strained his ears.

"- have to go the other way."

Sharp words.

"No. Not everything is in place."

"So just get a few more!"

"I can't! They are chosen specifically."

A woman's voice and a familiar drawl were arguing. The woman seemed to be annoyed, she hadn't done what she was supposed to. Draco sounded panicked and angry. Harry leant forwards to listen for more-

His leg caught on the step, his body lurching forwards. Skin smacked on to the freezing stone with a loud slap, effectively silencing the people within. Harry cursed in his mind, closing his eyes. Harry heard loud taps dashing away down the other staircase. The other pair of footsteps, dull and striding, strutted through the door.

"Potter!" Draco's incredulous tone turned sour. "What did you hear?" He demanded.

"Like I'm going to tell you anything." Harry rolled his eyes as he pushed up.

He didn't expect it, but just rolled with it as Draco grabbed his collar and yanked him inside, pushing him up against the wall. Harry felt his magic curl up against his palms, warming them slowly. He met Draco's silver glare with an angry blink.

"You think you know everything, Potter." The boy started off at a hiss, a wild look in his eye. "That you own the school. Just because you can run away when others die does not make you special!" Draco shouted in his face, an unseen emotion lurking.

Harry shoved him off of him.

"Shut up Malfoy." He growled.

"It's true. If mummy could see you now, weak and pathetic, she would have left you to the Dark Lord." Draco had plastered a smug grin on his face in an attempt to look like he had the upper hand.

"At least my mother loved my father. Can't say the same for yours." Harry said.

"How would you even know? It's not like you ever met your parents. They were dead before you could remember their faces." Draco spat.

"You're just a spoilt little brat who doesn't understand anything about the world he lives in! You live with psychotic Death Eaters! You know nothing!"

Harry tried to keep a lid on his emotions, he did, but after what Malfoy said... It was true. It was all true. And right now, he didn't want to hear it from another's mouth.

His hand formed a fist, however, it was not him who threw the first punch.

After Harry had shouted back, Draco had stood still, his chest heaving. Perfect white teeth clenched in the very picture of rage. They had both missed what they were fighting about entirely, just wanting to hurt the other the way they had been hurt themselves. The tension, external and internal turmoil, reached a crescendo. It was Draco who threw the first punch, socking Harry right across the jaw.

Harry didn't even blink; he was upon him in a second, the two of them grappling, shoving, clawing. Both had forgotten to even think about using magic. There was something so primal and satisfying within human contact, that neither cared.

Draco's head smacked into the cold stone, Harry landing a punch right to his nose. Blood trickled out of it and Malfoy's hair was all over the place, a contrast to his usual primness. His face red, he rolled over, forcing Harry below him instead. The boys thumped each other in the cheek at the same time. Disorientated, Harry caught Draco fumbling for his wand and drew his own.

The physical fight was over but the magical had just begun. They circled each other like predators, owls screeching behind them at the havoc they had caused, knocking over perches. Harry spat a mouthful of blood at the floor; Draco smeared the stream of blood from his nose across his cheek. The garish red stood out against the boy's pale face, ghostly in the moonlight seeping through the arches.

"I hope the Dark Lord kills you." Draco said seriously, looking Harry dead in the eye.

Me too, thought Harry.

Instead of saying that though, he just lobbed a full body bind at Draco's head.

The blonde boy dodged quickly, hurling back another curse. Harry blocked it with a shield.

"Expulso!"

His spell ricocheted off Draco's shield and out the window. The green light hadn't even begun to fade before Harry cast again.

The owlery was awash in bright flashes and bangs. Most birds had left, some remained to scream loudly as the two duelled.

"Always playing the hero, aren't you Potter? But you're a murderer too! I saw what you did to Selwyn!" Draco flung himself behind a low wall.

Harry sank down behind the other wall, peering out past the corner with one eye, wand raised.

"I did what I had to do." He stated bluntly.

"You're a killer Potter. You may insult my family, but at least we don't go around ripping out throats."

Draco paused, regaining his breath.

"You deserved everything that they did to you."

Harry leant his back against the cold stone, digging his head in.

"Shut up."

"I heard you. I told you this on the train. I really wanted to go into more detail then, for all your friends to hear. How you would be dragged out every day. Mother tried to avoid you but I saw. I snuck down once and watched, as they beat you bloody and you... You screamed like a little girl."

Draco rose slowly, carrying on talking as he aimed his wand, trying to line it up with the tuft of raven hair poking out from the wall. If he kept talking, maybe Potter would not see it coming. He could hear Potter's heavy breathing.

"I requested that Crouch's son write a few words on you. Did he? The words 'chosen one'. I did that. Do you like it?"

Harry literally bit back a snarl with his teeth. He knew exactly what Malfoy was on about. Indeed, the words 'chosen one' were written onto his left shoulder, near his collarbone. Harry often felt the urge to just rip that section of skin away, once so strong that he had dug his fingernails into his skin before, wanting to tear and maim. Draco Malfoy was the reason that those words were there.

Harry flung himself out, unsurprised that Draco was edging nearer.

"Reducto!" He yelled, aiming straight for his chest.

Draco flattened to the ground at the last second, the spell hurtling out the window and exploding into a tree, promptly tearing it out of the soil. Draco's face now had mingled terror mixed in as he retaliated, the two sparring viciously with increasingly harmful spells.

Harry knew somewhere in his mind that he did not want to kill Malfoy. But a large part of him wanted to hurt him. Holding back so many lethal spells that were pretty instinctual was not easy. Therefore, as Harry was holding back, they were equally matched.

It was not like their duel at the DA. Harry had planned out what he was going to do on the way to the podium, a safe controlled environment, he was calm and knew what to do. Now, Harry's emotions and magic were unstable, not working with each other. And Draco was duelling as if he was fighting for his life.

Although, the cold promise of death in Harry's eyes probably convinced Draco that he was.

They were building energy, the magic in the air crackling around them. It had to end somewhere.

And it did.

"Diffindo!"

The spell was aimed at the other's throat.

It was deflected.

It hit one of the owls circling above.

A snowy white owl plummeted, recognisable to both boys, a thick scarlet streak arching across its small body.

The flurry of spells dissipated.

"Hedwig." Harry whispered in horror, scrabbling over to his owl's body.

The hot liquid pooled in his palms, running in small rivulets down his wrists. In the corner of his eye, he saw an arm being raised slowly, wand in hand.

"Curse me and I will rip out your eyes." Harry's voice was as cold as the frost along the windowsills.

Draco lowered his arm.

"It's dead, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"She. She's dead." Harry said monotonely.

"This wasn't my fault." Draco started. "You used a cutting curse, not me. I was defending myself. Tell Dumbledore it was me if you want, but I'll just tell him that you aimed to slit my throat. We don't breath a word of this, Potter."

The Slytherin vanished, gone back to his bed most likely. Harry sat in his knees for a while, until the blood congealed and his owl's body went cold. Amber eyes were dull bronze plates, like the glass fakes on a toy. Harry pulled his outer shirt off, and tenderly wrapped up the owl, with a gentle touch that didn't seem to be possible with how much his hands were shaking. He vanished the blood, then all the spell scorch marks on the walls and floor. The dents were repaired. Soon the room looked spotless, the exception being the ragged empty boy stood in the middle, clutching a pile of fabric with red marks blending through.

"Harry? Harry where have you been? We were waiti- oh Merlin is that blood?" Ron met him at the common room door, as Ron sat outside the portrait waiting for his best friend to return.

Harry nodded, his facial injuries masked under his glamour. He cradled the bloody shirt in his arms.

"Harry," Ron breathed. "What's in the shirt?"

Harry found himself talking on autopilot.

"Hedwig... She was hunting."

It's true. She had been hunting before.

"There must have been some attack." He continued.

There definitely was.

"She was hurt. She- She didn't- I didn't realise- I didn't- there was-"

"Hey mate, okay listen, you're fine. Just breathe." Ron placed a hand on his shoulder, easing the bloody package out of his arms with a grimace.

"She's dead." Harry stated numbly.

"It's going to be okay Harry. We'll- we'll bury her, okay?"

Harry stared.

"Now?" He asked.

"I don't- uh-"

"Now." Harry nodded, taking back his loved companion, who had kept him company during the awful months with his relatives, been with him since he was eleven.

Harry wasn't aware of any teachers finding them walking through the hallways with a dead owl. Ron told him when he was more awake that Mcgonagall had in fact seen them. After Ron had hurriedly explained, she had strangely let them go on. He suspected that she had followed them though, if the tiny paw prints trailing behind them were anything to go by.

Harry had dug the grave himself, on the edge of the forbidden forest. There were no shovels, the ground was frozen solid, yet Harry sunk his hands into the soil and pulled it out like it was dough. Ron stood solidly behind him, shivering quietly in his pyjamas, his wand lighting up the dark area.

Once Hedwig was under the earth, safe and buried, Harry had summoned a rock. A few slashes of his wand and the name Hedwig was written in the stone. Stuck to the ground with a charm, to mark where one of Harry's best friends now lay.

Harry stood and stepped back next to Ron. Ron looked at his best friend and slowly drew him into a hug. He could hear Harry's uneven heartbeat and clung on to the smaller teenager until he felt the rhythm start to even out.

"It's nearly 3am Harry. We need to go to bed. Hermione's already asleep. Come on." Ron said softly.

Harry let himself be pulled to Gryffindor tower, coming back to himself when the warmth of the dying fire washed over him. He glanced down at his hands.

"Thank you Ron." He said quietly.

Ron patted him on the shoulder.

"I'll be upstairs. Try to get some sleep, you're okay now."

Harry nodded lethargically and sunk in to the armchair. Ron hovered for a second, unsure, but eventually walked up to bed.

After an hour, Harry's mind caught up to him.

"Hedwig." He whispered.

She was dead. His owl was dead. He cast the curse that killed her. It was his fault. Why did he even goad Malfoy in the first place? Stupid, stupid. He felt like it was a nightmare but knew he could not wake.

Harry shook his head. The start of light footsteps coming towards him had his head snapping round, hand on wand handle. A mess of red hair came round the corner of the girls' staircase.

Ginny.

"Harry!" She blinked. "What are you doing up?" She whispered.

"Hedwig. She was attacked during a hunt. She died."

Ginny raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"Oh Merlin."

She stepped forwards, dropping to her knees and pressing a warm hand to his cheek. He leant into it, fatigue weighing down on his eyes.

"I don't know what to say to make it better. I'm here Harry. Anything you want... Anything at all." She said.

"I don't want to think about it. Please... Distract me. Tell me why you're up." Harry mumbled, focusing on the flickering flames.

Ginny flushed.

"Oh. I- I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"What happened?" Harry questioned.

"It was- well- it was just kind of a replay of my first year again, all the- um- the diary stuff."

"That wasn't your fault." Harry told her, tearing his eyes away from the fire to look into her deep brown eyes.

"I know that now. But it doesn't stop it from getting in my head sometimes."

They fell quiet for a while.

"Budge up."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"I said budge up." Ginny repeated.

"But there are other seats." Harry protested.

"Nope. This seat. Budge."

Harry edged to the side of the armchair as Ginny slipped in, her legs thrown over the arm. They jiffled until both were comfy, her head in his shoulder and his arm around her.

"When I get nightmares, I sleep down here sometimes. The fire burns the entire night when a student stays overnight. What do you do after a nightmare?"

"I don't know." Harry yawned. "Stay awake, take a walk. Go back to sleep maybe."

"Next time, come down. I'll probably be here. Okay?"

"Okay." Harry muttered, before his eyelids became too heavy for him to lift again, and the girl in his arms shuffled closer to join him in sleep.

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 **I kinda didn't mean to do that but it just happened. Sorry about the wait.**

 **I have an Instagram account now for this. 1967hogwartsgoddess. Feel free to DM me, remind me to update, ask about a story, give me any ideas you can think of. I'd really appreciate it.**


	14. Blushes and Newspapers

**Faster update to make up for the short gap. Someone told me that they didn't care if it was shorter so long as there was more. This is slightly shorter than usual. It wasn't too long a wait, I'm still waiting on fics from 2006, but I know how annoying it can be to not have the next chapter.**

 **So here it is.**

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Chapter 14

"Uh Harry?"

Harry jerked up, startling the young ginger lying on him. For a second he blinked, wondering why Ron was sleeping on him, before he blushed. Oh right. Ginny. He glanced up at his waker.

Hermione stood in front of him, dressed in her robes ready for lessons. Harry was still in his blood covered uniform from yesterday. Blood?

It hit Harry like a bolt of lightening. The owlery. He felt a smaller hand on his and Ginny squeezed firmly.

"Don't think about it. Just get ready as quick as you can and meet us down here for breakfast." She said.

Harry opened his mouth to decline but Ginny shook her head.

"No. You're having breakfast with us now. Go on!"

With an air reminiscent of her mother, she ushered him up the staircase to his dorm. Harry wandered over to his bed. Yanking back the curtain, he was surprised to see Ron snoring on his pillow. Harry looked around and backed away, picking up his clothes to go change in the bathroom, after a quick shower. The water that ran down into the plug was dark red. Harry shut his eyes and scrubbed.

It was still early. The sun was barely over the horizon, a dim speck in the dark wintery sky. Harry looked out the window for a few more seconds, before turning to leave. A quick glance in the mirror told him that today was not that heavenly day where his hair would lie flat.

Ginny and Hermione were chatting quietly when he came back down.

"Do we even need to go to class at all?" Harry asked. "We break up tomorrow."

"My point exactly." Ginny gestured with her hands. "We could grab our brooms, go fly for hours."

Harry perked up.

"That does sound good." He said honestly.

On one hand, classes would distract him but then he would have to talk to people. On the other, skiving may give him a break from everything although then he'd have nothing to think about but the horrors from the previous night.

"No." Hermione said firmly. "Classes. If you don't go to the last lessons, you won't get the holiday homework."

"That sounds awful." Ginny said with a completely straight face.

"Come on." Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Work with me here."

"Did someone say breakfast?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling ravenously hungry.

"Don't say it any louder, you'll wake Ron." Hermione muttered as she led them over to the portrait.

"Awake the beast!" Ginny declared dramatically. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll protect you!" She swept an arm in front of an amused Harry protectively.

"I think I'll manage, Ginny." He said dryly, ducking through the gap in the wall.

They came to a halt as McGonagall appeared on the other side. She beckoned over to Harry.

"Potter, I need to talk to you for a second. Ms Granger and Ms Weasley, go on to breakfast, he'll only be a minute." The strict transfiguration teacher said.

Harry nodded to his friends and they went round the corner. Harry suspected they had not gone any further than that and, by the look on Professor McGonagall's face, she did too. She had a strange expression.

"I was informed of last night's events." She said bluntly.

Harry twitched. Ah.

"What about it?" He said sharply, before adding "Professor." on the end.

"How did it happen, again?" She asked, her eyes softening.

Harry bit his lip.

"Hedwig, she got back from a hunting trip. She'd been attacked." Harry cleared his throat to stop a hitch in his breath escaping. "She was bleeding. Badly. I think she died quickly."

McGonagall patted him twice on the shoulder as Harry stood still.

"It'll be alright, Potter. My office is open any time you need to talk. Take your mind off of it by playing quidditch later, perhaps. I have become quite accustomed to having the cup in my chambers, let's keep it there, hmm?"

Harry nodded, quirking up the corner of his mouth, before departing to go find his nearby friends. They had some kind of idea what she had wanted to talk about and quickly tried to take his mind off of it.

The walk down to breakfast was filled with giggles, mainly because Ginny had playfully tripped Harry up and, in his haste to remain upright, he had pretty much tackled Hermione. Her wild hair flew everywhere. Ginny swung an arm over his shoulder as they walked into the hall, that only contained some teachers and a few early risers.

Harry's mind shot into overdrive and his eyes widened. What was going on? What did this mean? She had done this with her brothers before, did she see him as a sibling? Oh Merlin. Was she flirting? Did she like him in that way? Ginny was a touchy feely person, that's all it was. Or was it?

Hermione glanced up and smiled at him. Harry was confusion personified and he suspected his cheeks were red enough to rival even the most embarrassed Weasley. Like nothing was amiss, they sat down in their usual spot at Gryffindor table, and Ginny retracted her arms in favour of grabbing her favourite jam in time. It was blackcurrant. Harry made a mental note, not realising he had just knocked over his juice.

"Uh- Harry? Oh for Merlin's sake, Harry. Evanesco!"

Harry looked down, surprised as the pumpkin juice dripping down his legs disappeared. Hermione put her wand away with raised eyebrows.

"Oh. Thanks 'Mione." Harry smiled sheepishly as a loud group of Hufflepuffs shoved each other through the hall doors.

Eventually Ron came down, yawning. Similarly to his sister, the first thing he did was pat his best friend on the shoulder, before grabbing a piece of toast to eat and kissing his girlfriend.

"Eurgh!" Hermione wiped her now jam-covered mouth. "Ron!" She scolded.

"I've got to eat 'Mione!" Ron protested, slightly louder to get over the rising hubbub of the filling hall.

Harry's hand brushed Ginny's as they reached for the last toast piece together. Ginny stared deeply into his eyes and Harry felt a blush rise from his neck... As Ginny yanked the toast out from under his hand and scoffed it, a victorious grin smattered across her triumphant face. Harry just watched her with a smile. Merlin, this girl was amazing. Ron kicked him under the table lightly; Harry looked across, confused. A knowing look was sent his way.

Harry had no idea what Ron was trying to convey so he flicked a crumb at his best friend. Ron gave up and accepted the apple Hermione waved under his nose.

The owls streamed in above them; they blocked out the light from the higher up windows. Harry bit his lip. Hedwig would never be a part of that again, and it was his fault. He killed her.

An owl dropped a prophet in front of Hermione as usual, and Harry picked it up to read it, take his mind off of it. He read the headline.

Then read it again.

Harry felt his stomach physically drop and bile rise in his mouth. His wand was out, quicker than humanely possible and he disillusioned himself. He slid out of the bench before anyone noticed and looked around.

A few teachers were reading the paper. A lot of students were. Heads were shooting up and looking over to the Gryffindor table. No no no no. No! No more! He had just got out of the papers and to be thrown back in for _this_ reason?

As the volume began to reach uncontrollable levels, a few teachers stood up. Harry saw Hermione put her hand over her mouth as she read the paper he had tossed aside. Reading over her shoulder, some bacon fell out of Ron's mouth. Ginny just looked angry, as did the twins.

Harry didn't look up at the table to see Remus' or Sirius' reaction. Instead, he ran out the door, his footsteps inaudible in the insane cacophony, without looking back. He didn't dare. Not after they saw the headline...

 _HARRY POTTER: ABUSED?_

 _By Rita Skeeter._

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 **Ever taken a geography exam with Disney's Hercules soundtrack in you head? Focus on urbanisation, focus on urbanisation- HOW ZEUS AND HERA WEPT- no no focus focus- BECAUSE THEIR SON COULD NEVER COME HOME- oh god. Es muy difícil.**

 **I've got a few more fics waiting in the wings to be posted lol whoops**


	15. Interviews and Panthers

**Fuck. School started up again. Probably won't be able to update frequently, but I'll honestly try. I just really got into all the lovely reviews from all o' y'all. And guess what?**

 **100+ REVIEWS. Thank you so much, it really means a lot guys. Next goal- 200, ha yeah right. You know you want it as much as I do.**

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Chapter 15

Harry sprinted through the corridors, his heart pounding like it did on his morning runs- but there was no satisfaction this time.

How?

How did anyone find out in the first place? It's ridiculous! It couldn't be his scars, no one had seen them since he learnt glamours, and before that, he had hidden them with ease. So how?

Harry turned a corner and threw a punch with all his might into the wall.

"Agh!" He shouted in confusion and anger.

He sunk to his knees, cradling his reddening hand. Something had cracked in his knuckle and the wall surrounding his emotions. Harry pushed up off the ground- he couldn't be seen like this.

He skidded to a halt before the room of requirement. Suddenly Harry had a thought- maybe it was all speculation? Maybe there was no actual proof. His wand came out.

"Accio Daily Prophet."

He had no time for silent spells or another failed attempt at wandless. He needed answers and he needed them now. Anyone who knew him and was aware about the room of requirement would know where he would go. He needed to get in, lock the door. Kill himself.

Harry snorted dryly. Yeah, right. Much as he'd love to, he still had a job to do. A rustling around the corner pricked up his ears. With seeker reflexes, he snatched the paper out the air, before ducking into the door that just materialised.

The door closed behind him and was locked before Harry allowed himself to relax. The spartan room was small, about the size of his bedroom at the Dursley's. There was a plain mattress, an armchair and a standing lamp. Home sweet home. Harry sat on the mattress, back against the cold stone wall.

He hurriedly unfolded the paper.

 _Harry Potter: Abused?_

 _By Rita Skeeter_.

Breathe, Harry thought, delving into the rest of the article.

 _The wizarding world has become very fond of our saviour, Harry Potter. Ever since that fateful night, nearly all were willing to take the boy in, love him as their own. But who did get him in the end?_

 _According to other students, Harry went to his maternal Aunt. She was married and had a son of her own, the perfect candidate. But is it all as it seems? For this woman was a muggle, along with her husband and child. She would not understand the importance of such a child, the magnitude of what this boy represented. To her, the boy might have been unwanted- unloved. Thrown aside into the closet, not to be seen._

At the mention of a cupboard, Harry's blood froze in his veins. No. Merlin, please, no.

 _For, my dear readers, such accusations are quite correct. I took on the heavy burden of exploring The-Boy-Who-Lived's childhood, and all that entailed. I spoke to one of his muggle teachers, one of his cousin's friends and a neighbour. What I found was shocking._

 _His muggle teacher, who shall remain nameless, gave some insight upon Harry._

 _['The first day he came into school, I knew something was off. A young boy should have limitless energy and round cheeks. Harry was skinny as anything, and didn't participate in any games. He was ever so shy, but ever so smart. I read some of his work, it was way above his age group. We were considering pushing him up a few years at least. Yet as soon as the first autumn report went home, something changed. When he came back, the work was all wrong, as if he didn't try anymore. His grades fell to just below his cousin's, who wasn't bright at all.']_

 _Let me repeat this, readers. Picture a skeletal green eyed boy, the intellectual superior of his peers. Smart enough to be put into a higher year. Yet, as soon as he takes his grades 'home', it all changes. He falls below his dim-witted cousin. On purpose? Perhaps he was not allowed to be as smart as his cousin. This was all speculation, of course, until I persuaded one more fact out of this teacher._

 _['When he came back, he... His... His arm was in a cast.']_

 _After he went HOME with BETTER GRADES than his cousin, he came back with a BROKEN ARM._

 _I have pictured, a medical record from a muggle hospital regarding such an injury. Not only was this one of quite a few incidents, it was also put down to 'Falling down the stairs'. A blatant lie if I ever heard one._

 _Moving on, I spoke to one of his cousin's friends. The boy was clearly lacking in smarts, and had a criminal record; shoplifting and multiple counts of bodily harm upon another. When I asked about Harry, his response was quite eloquent:_

 _['Potter? Yeah I know 'im. Me and Dudley (Harry's Cousin) and a few others used to beat 'im up for years. Then 'e went to that incurable criminal school where all them freaks go.']_

 _At this point, we already know that something was not right in young Harry's life. Bullied by a boy who should have been like a brother to him, and his friends. Furthermore, the entire neighbourhood seemed to be under the delusion that Harry does not attend Hogwarts, but some kind of delinquent asylum. That is a rumour that could only have been spread by his guardians- his Aunt and his Uncle._

 _Now, you are probably thinking- well this all sounds like it is the cousin- maybe the two boys just didn't get along? It would explain why Potter was not allowed to do as well as him, or why he got injured frequently. By now, I was satisfied that it was all the cousin. Until. I interviewed a nearby neighbour. What she told me should shake the wizarding world to the core._

 _['Petunia (Harry's Aunt) was a very respectable woman. Vernon (Harry's Uncle) had a high up job, paid well. But there was always something off about them. It wasn't until we, my wife and I, noticed some things that we began to suspect something gravely wrong. It started when we saw a young boy, around 5, out in the yard, gardening._

 _Not pulling up flowers and throwing mud, actual gardening. The boy was doing a good job too, weeding and planting. He worked without a break from morning to evening. He was finally called in, but it was the way he was called in. Vernon called him 'Boy'. And it wasn't the last time we heard that, we heard all manners of names being thrown at the poor child. 'Boy', 'Freak', 'Useless'. It was enough to make you wince._

 _As the boy got older, we noticed an increasing amount of injuries upon the boy. Why, he'd have a black eye nearly every week. Not to mention the bruised handprints going up the lad's arms. We knew it was the Uncle, but when we asked the boy, he profusely denied everything. I think we scared the lamb. Then came the horrible moment when we saw Petunia aim a blow at the boy with a frying pan. They...they also said something about him not deserving a proper room. I think... I think they made him sleep in the cupboard under the stairs.']_

 _At this point, the woman burst into tears, and I comforted her, unable to question her further._

 _I. Am. Disgusted._

 _The brave and kind Harry Potter, abused for being magical. To make it worse, we cannot persecute these muggles, as they were killed when Harry Potter was kidnapped earlier in the year. We here at the daily prophet offer our most deepest of sympathies to Harry, who somehow has overcome it. Harry, if you're reading this, we stand with you._

 _By Rita Skeeter_.

Harry let the paper slip from his fingers to the floor. His hands were shaking.

Well. At least they weren't calling him a mad psychopath.

But they would if he ever got hold of them. How dare they! How _dare_ they! He was going to kill them. All of them.

Oh Merlin. Sirius. Remus. Hermione. The Weasleys. Their reactions would be horrible, Harry didn't want to see them, he didn't want to see anyone ever again.

Ron.

Ron already knew most of it. He wasn't entirely aware of the physical side, but he knew. And Ron being Ron, would know not to bring it up if Harry made it clear he didn't want to talk. He would find Ron. But later. For now...

He non-verbally lifted the paper into the air, eyes flaming with fury.

"Bombarda." Harry croaked dryly.

With a loud boom, the paper was completely obliterated, tiny specks flying in different directions, some on fire. And along with most of the wall behind crumbled.

Harry didn't cut- he was dimly aware that if he put a blade to his skin right now, he could quite possibly stab himself through the arm, which would be difficult to explain to Madame Pomfrey. Instead, he took his anger out on the room.

The mattress was burnt and shredded in seconds, the armchair torn apart piece by piece. More appeared, and Harry let his anger consume him until it was no longer magical, he was just destroying everything himself.

Harry wasn't aware of the change. Fire had consumed his mind. He didn't even know he had turned until he leapt at an armchair, confused why his nails were making such deep slashes.

Harry blinked and moved his tail. What the-? His fury was briefly pushed aside as Harry realised what he had done. He was astounded. He had shifted! He was an animagus! His panther form was here, ready.

Harry searched around for his wand, before remembering it was in his pocket. But where were his pockets? He _had_ read a book on Animagi but might have only scanned a few chapters that weren't about the actual shift. There was something about self-image? That he knew how he looked normally, clothes and all, so when he shifted, they would go with the skin. It would carry everything in his pockets along with the clothes.

Like a muscle memory, the sensation of walking from the potion dream came easily to him and Harry padded to the door. He had been raging for a while- everyone would probably be in their second class now. What did he have? Charms? It's not like he was going, Merlin no. Harry buried his head in his paws- no way would he show his face to anyone he didn't consider family.

Nosing open the door with his snout, Harry padded out. The stone was cold on his leathery paws as he ran. Down the stairs, across corridors. The way he pushed off the ground with his legs was similar to taking off on a broom.

"Oh my!"

Harry looked up at Nearly Headless Nick, baring his many sharp teeth in a grin, before he shot off again. He reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

"What on earth!" She shrieked.

Harry backed up, putting his snout on the floor as a sign of being harmless. She observed him for a minute before she tutted.

"Another animagus, I suppose. Well you're not Black, he's a dog. Lupin can't be an animal, he's a werewolf. There's only one of you, you're not a Weasley twin."

She peered down.

"Green eyes, black fur. And a lighter mark on the head."

Harry swayed his tail from side to side.

"Being an unregistered animagus is illegal, Potter, I am absolutely sure that you know that." She sighed. "Just like your father. Does the headmaster know about this?"

Harry nodded, his ears bouncing up and down.

"Well, change back and give me the password if you want to go up." The fat lady crossed her arm.

Harry blanked. Oh. How, uh...how _was_ he going to turn back? He growled. He didn't know much about the other side of turning, he had planned to cross that bridge when or if he came to it. Or he would have had Sirius to coach him through. But that wasn't an option at this point.

His books were still up in the dormitory. If he could actively use wandless magic to summon them... Could he even use magic as an animal? He was still himself, just a different form.

Harry was confusing himself, so he turned tail and headed back out. He was a panther; where should he go? A flash of inspiration hit him and he pounced on it, streaking down the stairs and over to the main doors.

He went outside, past the shining Herbology greenhouses full of students who, thankfully, did not see him. They were deep into the lesson- For the love of Merlin, what _was_ the time? As he approached the edge of the forest, he slowed.

He had hoped that Hagrid wouldn't have been teaching but he could see a group of third years crowded around the large man. They were still young so Harry suspected Hagrid had only given them mildly dangerous animals. Maybe Nifflers.

Harry slunk round the back of the hut, lying low in the shadows behind. When would their lesson be over? He just needed to know the. Damn. Time! Come on, Harry thought, tempus! Tempus! _Tempus_! A flash of green next to him sent a prickles run through the fur on the back of his neck. Harry jumped, flattening down to the ground, ready to spring.

Some smoky green numbers wafted into view, displaying the time. Harry roared victoriously, the group of third years going suspiciously quiet near him. He slunk round to the other side as Hagrid took a few steps in his direction.

"Er- right." Harry heard the half-giant say. "Lesson's over, homework's...a drawin' of a bowtruckle. Off ya go, go on."

He gently ushered them away before reaching into his pocket slowly.

Harry flung himself out, a few metres away, and looked at Hagrid with wide eyes. Hagrid stared at him with interest, his hands raising in the way they would to calm an animal.

Harry rolled his eyes and strutted over to Hagrid, sitting calmly. His tail curled around his feet neatly.

"Tamed, are ye? Tha's good." Hagrid smiled as he opened his cabin door and held it open. "Come on in."

Harry almost snorted in disbelief. So this was what it was like to be a pet of Hagrid's. If he was honest, he treated him about the same as he treated his human self. He padded in, hopping up onto a seat with his powerful hind legs.

"I migh' have some food somewhere," Hagrid said, bustling about as if there wasn't a large black panther sat in his house. "But I have a feelin' Fang ate it."

Harry smiled. What did the the creatures of the world do to deserve Hagrid? What did the world do to deserve Hagrid? His smile vanished though, as a beaming Hagrid passed over one of his infamous rock 'cakes'. Harry blinked. He didn't want to hurt Hagrid's feelings so he leant forward, somehow biting a small chip off. His jaws were a lot stronger and his teeth a lot sharper.

"Baked them myself." Hagrid told him proudly.

Harry smiled as best he could as he chomped open-mouthed, his teeth clacking against the 'cake'. Once he'd finished, he stretched out on the seat and yawned. His vision fluttered with darkness as his green eyes closed, the fatigue of the change and silent wandless magic enveloping him.

When he awoke, the cabin was empty and a blanket laid upon his shoulders. Human shoulders, Harry noted. It slid off him as he sat up, glancing outside, seeing that the sky was turning a shadowed pink. The sun was setting, and he had been an animagus for several hours. Harry folded up the blanket and laid it on the chair, before pushing Hagrid's door open and walking up to the castle.

He didn't know how he'd turned back, but so long as he _had_ turned back, it didn't really seem to matter. He'd learn it next time. Harry faltered in his footsteps. He'd be going to the Burrow tomorrow; there would be no way he could avoid anyone. He weaved around silently in the corridors once he was inside like a ghost. After walking past the hall, he had heard everyone eating dinner. It was unlikely anyone would catch him.

Harry honestly had no idea what to do, so he decided to deal with it tomorrow. Trying to clear his mind, he walked through the common room and up to the dorm. A long groan emitted from his stomach.

Right. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Harry breathed in deeply through his nose. He was hungry but he didn't feel like eating. He didn't want to. Sinking on to his bed, he pulled out his parselmagic book and cast a ward around his bed, before yanking the curtains shut.

The ward was simple and he had learnt it recently- it would form a barrier around his bed. Should anyone try to touch it, it would be like they would be pressing their hands up against a thick sheet of glass.

Immersing himself in his squiggle-filled book, Harry tried not to think about the inevitable conversations.

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 **Phew. That was long, wasn't it?**

 **To all writers who aren't getting reviews: just remember, it took me 15 chapters on Scars of the Past to get a review. You've just got to wait for people to get into your writing. And once you have regular reviewers (which are the best), it makes it all worth it. Siriusly I love all my regular reviewers. Y'all are getting dedications at some point.**

 **HEY YOU! PERSON READING MY FIC. I KNOW YOU'RE READING IT, THERE'S A LOTTA PEOPLE FOLLOWING IT. Before you scoff and be like, 'goddamn author's notes' JUST WAIT. Drop a review on this. Even if it's just one word. Pretty please?**


	16. Cloaks and Floos

**I got a level 9 in my mock GCSE English paper yass. You probably can't tell from these stories tho :)**

 **Oh my God I'm so sorry about the wait, GCSEs and all that rubbish. I've only got three more science exams then we don't have to worry until next year for the rest. I reckon I did alright in the exam I've already taken. It was a bit badly worded but I aced the protein synthesis question yay.**

 **000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 16

Harry woke up with a thick layer of sweat plastered across his brow and his book lying haphazardly across his stomach. Harry groaned and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He absolutely did not want to get up today. Certainly nothing good would come of it.

He'd had the strangest of dreams; not exactly a nightmare, but it could be considered one. In his dream, Harry was just sat in his cupboard. He was locked in, his fifteen year old body a little crammed, but he seemed neutral and not fussed about it. Harry didn't know what it meant, but he was pretty confused by it.

He inched his curtain back and scanned the room tensely. Ron was asleep, but his own curtain was pulled back on one side, probably so he could keep an eye on Harry's bed.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. He honestly just had no idea how to handle this situation. He'd never thought that anyone would find out about the Dursleys, let alone read an article about his childhood. They were dead; nothing further could be done, so what was the point?

Harry slipped off his bed, feeling more agile than before, and tiptoed around to his trunk. He packed stealthily, but chaotically. There was no system: dirty socks were haphazardly thrown inside, crumpled bits of parchment were put in, 4 years of Weasley jumpers were stacked in one corner. Harry shut the lid slowly and winced when it clicked loudly. He didn't own enough for it to be a hassle to close, though his growing amount of books were making it a little heavy.

"Harry?" Came a groggy voice behind him.

Harry swore internally and glanced round with what he hoped was a friendly expression. Neville was sitting up in his bed, his hair a little ruffled around his ears.

"Nev?" Harry asked nervously.

"I-uh- I'm glad you're okay." Neville didn't seem to know where to start. "You had everyone worried when you didn't show up to the first lesson. I think Professor Black was searching for you."

Harry cringed.

"Oh." He started, though what he was starting, he had no idea. "Uh-"

He looked at Neville and closed his mouth with a click.

"You'd better pack," He said, gesturing to the piles of clothes around the boy's bed. "We have to leave at 11. It's 8 now," He added, because Neville looked panicked for a second. "You've got ages."

Neville nodded, distracted for the time being. He laid back down.

"Can you wake me at nine?" He asked. "I want another hour of sleep, we're not all early birds like you."

"Course Nev." Harry stated, turning back around.

Now that he knew someone was awake and near him, it unsettled Harry. The steady rhythm of deep breaths and snores had faded slightly, and the irregular sighs set his nerves on edge. He grabbed his clothes for the train (a baggy green t-shirt from an eleven year old Dudley that still fit and some jeans that were ripped at the knees, but not in a fashionable way) and ducked into the bathroom to change.

When he opened up the door again, others were stirring. He could see Dean's feet on the floor by his bed, but judging by how his body slumped in a sitting position and how his eyes were still shut, Dean wasn't fully awake. Harry went over and poked Neville.

"It's not nine," He said. "But by the time you get up it will be."

Neville just blinked at him sleepily.

Harry shrunk and pocketed his trunk. He quickly checked over his space for anything left, popping his head under the bed. He ignored the many glass vials of Dreamless sleep that were gathering dust and straightened back up, before leaving the dorm quietly.

He knew where he had to go; he didn't want to, but he had to. He stopped outside of Sirius' and Remus' room. He sighed and cast his gaze out the window, imagining himself out on his broom. The wind in his hair and the sensation of being free. Before he could give in to the urge, and before he could think too far ahead, he knocked on the door.

Just once.

It wasn't even loud.

(Maybe they wouldn't hear it and he could just leave.)

But then the door opened, and a tired Remus froze. Harry shifted in his trainers, not making eye contact after the initial flicker up to meet amber.

"Um. Hey." Harry said, itching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Harry," Remus said, sounding like he'd been punched in the ribs. "Come in. Please, come in."

Harry quirked up the side of his mouth and walked in to the room, sitting on a red sofa in the middle. There were three doors along one wall. One was probably the toilet, Harry guessed the moon design on one door was to show it was Remus' bed, the paw print showing Sirius'. Remus hovered.

"Harry." He said again, before sitting on an armchair. "Are you- uh- are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Remus." Harry said, looking at his feet and wondering why everyone kept asking that.

His trainers were really falling apart.

"Have you packed?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Moony, who is it?" A loud yawning voice sprung out of nowhere as a door flew open.

Sirius walked out, tying the knot on his dressing gown into a neat bow. He blinked when he saw Harry.

Harry didn't know what he expected.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted, his grey eyes wide. "Where did you go yesterday?"

Harry glanced at Remus, who was looking between the two.

"I just went for a walk." Harry said, twitching his shoulders anxiously.

"I looked for you everywhere! We learnt every passage in this school, every secret room and corridor, and I still couldn't find you! We were worried!" Sirius yelled.

"I'm fine Sirius." Harry placated. He hated it when Sirius shouted.

"Damn right you better be fine." Sirius said as he slumped into the seat next to him. Sirius ran a hand through his own long hair before letting his hand fall and squeeze Harry's shoulder.

"Just leave the map with us, next time you want to take a walk, so we know where you are." Remus spoke quietly. "We didn't know if you were safe or not."

"It's Hogwarts." Harry said, the excuse sounding weak even in his own mind, a thousand unsafe memories thrown back into his face.

"Exactly." Remus said grimly.

There were a few brief beats of silence.

"Is it true?" Sirius asked.

Harry waited a few moments too long to answer. He was caught up in-between outright denying it, like he always had, or coming up with an excuse to play it off like it was nothing. Which it was. Sirius took his hesitation as an answer and dropped his head into his hands.

"Sirius-" Harry began. "It wasn't- I just- not all-" Harry breathed in and out. "Are you coming on the train?"

Sirius didn't answer him. Remus didn't either. Both were lost in their own thoughts. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Hey."

Sirius lifted his chin. Remus still didn't move.

"Yeah." Sirius said. "Wait no. What? The train? No. We're flooing to meet you guys there."

Harry nodded.

"Well, uh, I've got to go help Ron pack. He'll never be able to do it without me or Hermione."

Harry stood up. Both men shifted as if they didn't want him to leave but didn't say anything. Harry closed the door quietly as he left, the low buzz of conversation already starting up behind him. He felt the magic of a silencing ward being put up and was immediately cut off from the room.

Harry wandered around for a bit, and whenever conversation floated around a corner, he turned and went somewhere quieter. Eventually there were too many people, and he had to head back under the cloak.

A few hours later saw the Hogwarts Express train at the Hogsmeade station, billowing smoke heading into the sky. Torrents of students poured into the train. Harry was invisible and following the group of redheads, plus one brunette.

"We can't go on without Harry!" Hermione was arguing.

"Trust me, 'Mione, as soon as we close our compartment door, he'll take off the cloak." Ron replied, though his tone wavered on uncertain.

Harry blinked at how Ron knew.

Hermione kept looking around for him, which made him feel a little guilty. But there were too many people and too many reasons why he didn't want those people to see him.

The group found there compartment at the back of the train, and Ginny held the compartment door aside with a blank face. Harry made his way inside, tapping her on the nose to signal. She jumped and slammed the sliding door.

"Harry, I swear. Don't disappear like that." She said, her eyes roaming.

Harry still hadn't removed the cloak as he sat down in an empty corner, along the seats Fred and George were sprawled on.

"Sirius was looking for you, and so were we! Ron and Hermione skipped History of Magic to look for you, I missed lunch. I, I get why you didn't want to be seen, but you could've let us know that you hadn't run away or something." Ginny sat down with a thump.

"Harry mate, take off the cloak. It's weird talking to air." Ron said.

Were they scared that he was going to kill himself? Did they know? They had probably just thought that he'd run away, like Ginny said.

Harry sighed and took off the cloak, folding it up into a neat square.

"Harry." Hermione said, giving him a once over. "Are you okay?" She asked, a bit timidly.

"I'm fine." Harry said.

The elephant in the corner was dancing up and down, waving red banners and glow sticks.

"Was it true?" Hermione asked bluntly, echoing Sirius.

Harry sighed and looked out the window. There were a lot less people out there now; the train would leave in 5 minutes, at the most. He was aware he hadn't answered Hermione's question. He didn't want to add to the lies he told them on a frequent basis, so settled for something non-commital.

"It doesn't matter, Hermione. They're dead." He said, concealing his frustration. "Chess, Ron?"

Ron nodded and pulled out a box. His blue eyes held a solemnity that wasn't familiar on Ron. They didn't speak another word of the subject for the rest of the journey. At some point, Luna joined them, and started a debate with Hermione about... Crumple-horned snorkacks? Harry didn't know, but if Luna believed in them, it was good enough for him.

The train slowed and Harry had a brief flashback to last time. There would be no unhappy Dursleys waiting for him now. Why couldn't he stop thinking about them? They were dead. Dead and gone. His Aunt was definitely dead, he hadn't spent a long night staring into her glassy eyes to not know that.

"Ready?" Ginny nudged him with her foot.

Harry nodded.

"Harry, where's your trunk?" Fred asked, pulling Ginny's down off the rack for her.

"Shrunk it. It's in my pocket." Harry said, patting his jeans.

"Nifty." Said George.

"How are we getting there?" Hermione spoke up. "Portkey? Floo? Car?"

"Floo, I think." Ginny said. "No one trusted the cars enough..." She trailed off.

Harry was uncharacteristically ignoring her. He feared what she thought of him most of all (weakweakweakWEAK) and didn't want to deal with it. He threw his cloak back over his head as they left the compartment. Harry heard Hermione's sigh and ignored it.

"Where is it?" He hissed in Ron's ear once they were off the train.

Ron started at the unexpected disembodied voice but said out the corner of his mouth. "It's just round the corner. Just follow me."

Harry had never seen the public floos before. There were three, and large lines for each. They were a dark blue, standing out along the lighter stone wall. It seemed as if no one wanted to travel the slow way now. Too exposed, Harry thought. Increased risk of attack.

"Mum said to go through the middle one. She said we're keyed up for that one." George said, grabbing a sock that was falling out of his trunk as they joined the line.

"Password is... Bugger, I can't remember." Ron pulled a face.

"Well I don't know." Hermione said indignantly as everyone turned to her. "It's your house, you're supposed to know."

"For Merlin's sake, it's the names of Mum's brothers." Ginny said, huffing at the back. "You're all welcome."

"Thanks Gin-Gin." One of the twins ruffled her hair, causing her to swat at them in a way similar to her mother.

Ron stepped up and waved before he vanished in a flash of green. Harry was thrown forward while Fred and George started making a distraction that seemingly consisted of squids and fireworks.

"Go!" Hermione hissed at him. "Before anyone notices a fireplace going off on its own."

Oh. Harry got it. He stumbled forwards and hopped into the grate.

"The Burrow," He said clearly, just then remembering what Ron's uncles were called. "Password: Gideon and Fabian."

The grubby fireplace whirled, the red train blurring and different colours faded into view. He tripped out into the Burrow, caught by Arthur, who he thanked quickly.

Harry stood still. The conversation dimmed around him, and he noticed Sirius talking rapidly to Remus in the corner. There were order members everywhere, and he still had to deal with Molly Weasley.

It was going to be a very awkward Christmas.

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 **I think one of my most hated things in the universe is not being able to find something when I need it: my jacket, my shoes, my will to live-**

 **I went to Subway so many times that the guy there knows my order. Tuna, sweetcorn and cucumber- basic, I know but it's yummy.**

 **Massive things about to go down in the next few chapters. You're all provably like, 'it better be this' or 'it better be that'. It'll deal with like three things. Just wait a few days/weeks idk.**


	17. Plates and Games

**Good lord, I was re-reading Scars of the Past, and just whoa. It was my first fic, first attempt at serious writing, and I've seen way worse, but I wanna go back in time and slap myself. The things I wrote...I actually couldn't take it anymore and had to redo sections that were ridiculous. There's a lot of injury detail, innit?**

 **Here's some better writing through practise. No one is born good at something.**

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Chapter 17

Harry slumped down on his bed and breathed out heavily. It was Christmas Eve. Christmas at the burrow was stressful. There were all the Weasleys (except Percy, who was only staying from Christmas Eve to New Years day), lots of Order members and Harry and Hermione. It was like the first of September multiplied by two.

And Harry found himself loving it.

Hogwarts thrummed with life, a constant energy in and out of the castle. But Harry was always a bit on edge with the buzzing, not knowing if it was good or bad.

Here, he had nothing but good memories and familiarity. Quidditch in the meadows. De-Gnoming. Hearing Fred and George blow things up and everyone shaking their heads fondly at the ceilings.

Although Remus and Sirius were on him a bit. He didn't often find a moment to himself without a marauder jumping in and suggesting something to do. He loved it, he did, but he got the feeling that they didn't trust him anymore. He had never told anyone about the (was it really abuse?) stuff, except a few details to Ron, and it had seemingly hurt them.

This was one of the rare moments when he could be alone. Or so he thought.

"Dinner!" Molly Weasley's shout shook the very walls.

There was no sonorous needed, all heard it, which was proved by the sudden heavy patter of feet clomping down the stairs. Harry groaned. They made him eat so much. After he had taken the bludger to the head, he kept ordering nutritional potions to keep him more coherent and battle ready. He just didn't have time to eat, he wasn't bothered and besides, it wasn't as if he had a large appetite in the first place.

Dinner time gave him an excellent opportunity to practise his vanishing spells on his food, his wand hidden close to his wrist.

But now there were more eyes on him, Harry thought as he sat up. There were always eyes on him.

He opened his door and jogged to the bottom of the stairs, nearly colliding with Tonks. Tonks smacked him on the shoulder playfully.

"Clumsy aren't you? I coulda hurt myself." She stood tall and had a snooty expression to cover her grin.

"Keep telling yourself that Tonks." Harry said, sliding past her.

She elbowed him and they walked in to the kitchen, where the table had been magically elongated to fit everyone. It rivalled the length of the Great Hall tables.

Harry sat down next to Ron, who handed him a bowl with a glazed expression.

"Thanks." Harry said quietly.

"Only one more sleep!" Charlie walked in, mistletoe mixed in to his straggly red hair.

"Charlie, I thought you had to go back to Romania!" Ginny clambered out her seat to hug him firmly around his broad chest.

"Not today, little red. Bosses appreciate Christmas with family, I'm here til January." Charlie ruffled her hair.

"Charlie, dear, that's brilliant." Molly bustled through with a heavy pot that was instantly lifted out of her hands by Bill, who stuck a finger in it to taste it, much to the chagrin of the rest of the table.

"Oi Bill save some for the rest of us." Fred shouted.

"Give it here." George pulled it away from him.

"Boys." Arthur said mildly, not really concentrating as he was deep in conversation with Kingsley.

Harry felt like he didn't belong here, he didn't have any lines in the script that seemed to be playing out before him. He took his serving absent-mindedly and brought the spoon to his lips. He blinked and took another spoonful. He had forgotten how good food tasted, nutrient potions were effective but tasteless.

"Is that your favourite meal or something?" Tonks asked from her position next to him.

"What?" Harry asked, looking up.

"You're devouring that faster than a billywig. I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much." She said.

Harry looked down. He'd eaten nearly half of his portion.

"Just hungry, I guess." Harry mumbled, shrugging.

The taste had awakened a long dormant feeling of hunger, of wanting something, of being satisfied. But he slowed himself down reluctantly. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself.

Tonks was still watching him out the corner of her eye, so distracted that she brushed her glass and knocked over her drink. She leapt up, brushing juice off her legs.

"Oh Tonks!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, leaping into action with her wand, siphoning the juice off of Tonks' muggle trousers.

"Sorry Molly." Tonks said sheepishly.

In the commotion, Harry saw Fred and George slip out, depositing their plates by the sink as they left. Bill and Ginny quickly followed them, the latter sticking her tongue out at him. Merlin, she was amazing. He had this tight feeling in his chest whenever she was near, and he just wanted to be next to her.

"Oh where are they off to?" Molly scolded, unaware of Percy and Charlie edging past her.

Remus and Sirius grabbed him by the arms playfully, and they hurried out.

"Don't wanna be roped into the washing up." Remus whispered.

They went into the lounge, where Weasley children had draped themselves over various pieces of furniture, chatting. Tonks was trying to plait Bill's hair, but failing miserably. However, it wasn't that he didn't want her to, it was that she didn't seem to know how.

"No, you've got to put the middle part on the other side." Ron interjected from the side.

"No, Tonks, _this_ part." Fred said, leaning over and flipping across a lock of Bill's choppy hair.

"Okay," Tonks held up her hands in surrender. "How come all of you know how to plait?"

"Ginny." They chorused.

"She made us plait her hair every day for about two years." George groaned.

Ginny grinned smugly.

"I got my hair plaited and I could play at the same time, it was the perfect deal." She said.

"Not for us." Percy said from the corner, shaking his head.

"Eventually I learnt how to." Ginny told Tonks. "But it was never as neat. I think Dad's was the best."

Arthur Weasley looked unabashedly proud.

Ginny reached behind her own head and began to plait her hair, her fingers deftly flicking strands across. Harry was snapped out of it by a small crash in the kitchen, the sound of a plate breaking. His wrist shot back to his wand, but he played it off as a scratch. No one seemed to notice anything anyway. Harry slowly stood and walked back into the kitchen, towards the crash noise.

Mrs Weasley was stood waving her wand over a shattered plate on the floor. It righted itself, coming back together as if it was magnetised, and floated back to the counter. It looked like Mrs Weasley was on her own, up to her elbows in soapy water.

"Harry dear, it was just a small slip, everything's okay." Mrs Weasley reassured him.

Harry stepped forward, confused.

"Why aren't you doing it with magic?" He asked curiously.

"Magically cleaning things is easy and convenient, but there's always a little left. It's extra time but so long as they're sparkling by the end, it's worth it." She told him, stacking some bowls on the drainboard, onto a pile that was already teetering dangerously.

There was a lot of plates and bowls still to go- the Weasleys plus the Order and Hermione and Harry... Harry looked around for a cloth.

There was one on a ring on the wall; Harry pulled it off and picked up a bowl, cleaning it thoroughly before putting it away. Mrs Weasley looked around in surprise.

"Harry, no, no, you don't have to do that. Go through to the other room, I'll clean up in here." She insisted.

Harry shook his head.

"You made dinner, you shouldn't have to put it away as well." He cleaned another cup.

"Harry?"

Harry turned to see Ron poking his head round the door. Ron blinked.

"Harry, come through, Charlie's set up a game." He said.

"In a few minutes, Ron." Harry said, setting a cup down.

Ron wandered over, watching them for a few seconds. Then he picked up a cup and put it away.

The three worked quietly, Molly washing, Harry drying, Ron putting away. Once they were done, Molly turned to them. She placed a hand on each of their cheeks.

"My boys." She said proudly, sounding almost near tears, before she ushered them through to the other room, with a air that left no space for argument.

Harry and Ron shrugged at each other before plonking themselves down on a sofa with Hermione and watching the end of the dragon related game that most were playing. There were only three left: Remus, Charlie and Ginny, and it looked deadly serious.

"Ginny, you're out! Ha!" George exclaimed suddenly.

Ginny swore under her breath, receiving a raised eyebrow from her father. She huffed and got up, throwing herself into a chair.

"It was fixed!" She said, pouting overexaggeratedly, before smiling. "Come on Remus, you have to beat Charlie now."

"I'm trying!" Remus said, staring at the board with a mix of panic and amusement.

Eventually Charlie won, taking a brief victory lap around the lounge before he was bombarded with pillows.

"I can't believe it's nearly Christmas ." Hermione said.

She was stretched out on the sofa, her legs crossed on Harry's lap and her head on Ron's shoulder, who had his arm round her.

"We're gonna get up so early." Ron said excitedly.

"Ron, you're the heaviest sleeper I know." Hermione said bluntly.

"Not on Christmas." Harry poked her. "He's out of bed before I am usually."

"Speaking of bed... Come on. Game's over, up you go. Sooner you sleep, sooner you wake up!" Arthur said tiredly.

Any other day, many protest would be thrown at the Weasley patriarch. On Christmas Eve however, they all went up to bed without complaint, even most of the Order members.

He and Ron got quickly ready for bed, chatting quietly about the next day, about presents and the big Christmas meal.

Soon Ron was in bed with his hand on the bedside light, waiting for Harry. Harry slipped underneath the covers and nodded.

The light switched off.

"Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Ron."

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 **I'm a slut for character development. And I just rewatched 5 seasons of the Walking Dead in like two weeks.**

 **THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS ARE GONNA BE LIT! I've already written parts out, I can't wait. Reviieewwww iff ya love it!**

 **Play Deadrising 2 on XBOX 360, it's so funny and really interactive. You can kill zombies with anything. Anything you find. I was using an electric guitar.**


	18. Christmas and Family

**Ahaha guys, it's 2am (not that late for me, really), but for a change, I'm in a CAR, on the MOTORWAY, heading towards the AIRPORT to go to SPAIN WHOOOOO. It's gonna be so hot and I may not be beach-body ready, but I am beach-mind ready. Did loads of ab workouts for like two months but alas, the results are practically invisible.**

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Chapter 18

"Wake. UP!"

Harry fell off the bed with a thump, his body scrabbling for some kind of defense. His wand was under his pillow, he must have let it go during the night-

His hand connected with something and he yanked, pulling the heavy thing to the floor.

Uproarious laughter met his ears as he blinked, reaching for his glasses with his other hand. He cringed and let go of George's ankle. The twin was too busy roaring on the floor to notice. Next to him, Fred seemed to be supporting Ron's weight as they wheezed.

"Harry- mate- your face!" Fred choked out, bright red.

Harry, ignoring the way his heart was trying to explode its way out of his chest, felt his own cheeks burn and gave a twitchy smile, sheepish.

"Bugger off." He said, accepting Ron's arm to heave him up.

"It's Christmas!" Ron shouted loudly. "You have no idea how many mince pies Mum, Bill and me made, seriously I think we made over a hundred. And I wanna go halve that number, let's go, let's go!"

"Okay!" Harry said, laughing at his best friend.

Christmas always brought out the good in some people, thought Harry as he was tugged down the stairs, that were covered in tinsel that changed colours. He heard Sirius singing before he saw him, but was instantly assaulted by Remus shoving a present into his hands.

"Open it!" He said, with an enthusiasm Harry had never seen.

"Remus Elizabeth Lupin! You better not be giving him his present first!" Sirius shouted, clambering over a flowery sofa, nearly kicking a hungover Charlie in the face.

The eldest three Weasley children had apparently stayed up until the early hours, daring each other to drink more and more firewhisky until they had fallen asleep in the lounge. Percy seemed the most intoxicated, laughing to himself every two minutes. Harry could see Hermione holding back giggles next to him.

"Yeah, you're damn right, I'm giving him his present first. Remember? First one up gives presents first." Remus said.

"You only said that because you were already up." Sirius complained.

"Too late now." Remus snarked, pressing a medium sized present into Harry's hand.

"Thanks, Remus." Harry said, sitting back in a puffy armchair to open it.

Under a layer of foil (Really, Remus? Just how 'last minute' was this wrapping?), Harry found an old blue book, covered in scribbles. He glanced up, questioning.

"Read it!" Remus said, smiling wryly.

He looked over the front cover and blinked.

'The Marauders' Guide to Pranking' was scrawled across the top in various handwriting. Harry tried to guess which one was his dad's- probably the chicken scratch similar to his own.

But Remus shook his head when he asked.

"No, that's my handwriting. The small scrunched up one is Peter's, the one with the overly-exaggerated loops is Sirius' and the fancy twirly one is James'.

Harry, who was flicking through the book, pointed to a note at the end. The handwriting was scratchy, but each word had a flourish at the end.

"Whose is this?"

"Lily's. She had awful handwriting for years. Practically unreadable. We nicked her notes a couple of times before we realised that we couldn't copy them."

Harry looked down at the book. He'd been staring too long, he thought, his head coming back up.

"Thanks, Remus." Harry said sincerely.

"No problem."

"My turn!" Sirius announced.

"Go on then," Remus shook his head, but took a seat next to Molly.

All the adults seemed to be watching him, Harry thought, glancing up covertly. The kids were engrossed in their gifts, ripping brightly coloured paper off that stuck out on the brown carpet.

"Harry." Sirius knelt to the side of him, and handed him a flat present. "You- you don't have to if you don't want to, I'd understand one hundred percent- please just open it Harry, I'll start rambling."

Harry ripped it open apprehensively. It was a laminated piece of paper. He read the title at the top- 'Official certified adoption of one Harry James Potter by one Sirius Orion Black.'- Harry blinked and re-read it...

"What?" Harry whispered.

"You hate it, oh Merlin, you hate it. Harry, look-" Sirius stared at the ground and mumbled.

"Sirius." Harry whispered in awe. "You adopted me."

"Is- is that okay?" Sirius stared deeply into his eyes as if to read his thoughts.

"Yes." Harry's voice broke, and he coughed. "Yes, that's definitely okay."

"Okay." Sirius couldn't hold back his grin any longer and beamed, signs from his years in Azkaban melting away. "Okay."

He wrapped Harry in a bear hug, one hand on the back of his head. "Good present?" He asked.

"The best." Harry said.

"I heard that!" Remarked Remus.

"What did he say?" Asked Hermione.

"He said that Sirius adopting him was a better present than my book." Remus said, faking a sulk, though he couldn't hide his smile.

"Sirius adopted you? Oh Harry, that's amazing!" Shrieked Hermione.

"I know." Harry said quietly, so only Sirius could hear.

He felt the man laugh as they withdrew. It was only after he let go that he realised that was the only human contact he hadn't really flinched away from in... Well, ever since he'd been taken. Maybe this was good. Maybe he was getting better.

"Whoooo!" Fred, George and Ginny started cheering.

Even Molly joined in, her eyes watering a little as she watched. Harry watched her walk up to Sirius as everyone partied and starting opening presents again.

She drew Sirius into her arms.

"I'm very happy and very proud of the both of you. Raising a child is one of the best things in the world. And the most difficult. If you ever need any advice or whatever, Arthur and I are right here."

"Thanks Molly." Sirius said, bowing his head.

Harry watched their conversation for a few more minutes but it quickly turned into a discussion about a New Years Eve party. Ron came to sit by him, offering a mince pie and his congratulations.

"Does this change your surname?" Ron asked, slightly muffled.

Harry shrugged. He didn't know. Part of him wanted to keep the Potter name, but the other half wanted some kind of recognition that he was a Black now, that someone wanted him. Hyphenating it just seemed weird. Ron seemed to sense that he was thinking too much, and took the opportunity to hand him his Christmas present.

"I'm not adopting you," He joked. "But it's still a pretty good present."

Harry grinned at his best friend, unwrapping a box. Inside was a practise snitch.

"It has three settings, beginner, normal and difficult. You won't need beginner but the normal is actually kinda tricky and-"

Harry listened as Ron seemed to give the whole history of the snitch, amazed that someone who snored his way through History knew so much about it.

"It's great, Ron, really. We'll have to play a match sometime soon. Maybe I can challenge the famed Charlie Weasley."

"That, I would love to see." Ron said, his eyes glazed as he seemed to picture it in his mind. "I honestly don't know who would win."

"Bugger, I've left all of my presents upstairs." Harry remembered.

"Let's go get them." Ron said, "I wanna know what you got everyone."

"What did Sirius give your mum in the end?" Harry asked, as they left the room.

Ron grinned.

"A life size cut out of Lockhart."

Harry snorted. He knew he'd end up choosing that.

"What about-"

An explosion outside seemed to rock the very foundations of the house. Harry and Ron fell, gripping the bannister in an effort to remain upright.

"What the bloody hell-?" Ron swore, a nasty red mark on his forehead from where he'd slammed it into the wall.

Harry lifted a hand to his now burning scar.

Ron's expression changed to fear.

"The wards!" Came a terrified shout from the kitchen.

Another explosion blew out the nearest window, sending a shower of glass over the two boys. Ron gripped Harry's arm, and they staggered over to the nearest fireplace. Ron grabbed some floo powder and threw it in. The fire remained orange.

"Bugger, bugger." A steady chant of curses left Ron's mouth.

Fred burst through the nearest door.

"We can't apparate, the floo-?"

Ron shook his head quickly.

"It's down."

"Merlin, right. Ron, you need to get you and the kids somewhere safer, go into a back room."

"No, He's here." Harry said loudly."And he's here for me, he'll tear down the place."

"We're not giving you up." Shouted Ron and Fred, over the din of explosions and shouting.

"I didn't say that, just don't hide me, it's a waste of time." Harry replied.

A scream came from the lounge, causing the three boys to dart back in. The windows were blown out in there too. Order members had their wands out and Hermione and Ginny were in the corner, behind Mr Weasley.

"Harry." Sirius was by his side in a second. "Voldem-"

"-ort is here, I know."

An amplified voice silenced the room, only the noise of a fire crackling somewhere in the background.

"Harry. Why don't you come out and join us?" Voldemort said.

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 **I goddamn live for reviews.**

 **I'm in Spain, and it's hot, and all the locals are too. Seriously. I stare wayyyy too much (not in a creepy way, NO means NO kiddos) so I bought some sunglasses where you can't see my eyes. Now I can 'damn, look at those legs' all I want and not get caught. YAHA!**


	19. Inferi and Kidnapping

**Dun dun dunnnnn. Read on little pickles.**

 **Also thanks for all the great reviews, you guys are the best.**

 **Anyone ever been skinny dipping? I had loads of sand in my bikini and I was alone in the pool and long story short, it was surprisingly fun.**

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Chapter 19

Harry had opened the door before any of them could move.

"Harry!" Hissed Remus, beckoning him back.

Harry shook his head.

"You know that if I don't come out, he'll burn the place down. Trust me on this, you need to stay inside. Can we bring down the wards?"

"I'm on it already." Bill said, waving his wand intricately at the walls, which seemed to be glowing. "They've reversed them somehow, I'll be able to get them back, but it will take time."

"I can buy you time." Harry said, causing an uproar.

"Harry, no!"

"Just think about this!"

"Voldemort loves to hear himself talk, you'll have time." Harry shot them down, and turned to walk outside.

"Harry." Sirius snatched his hand. "I'm coming out with you."

"Me too." Said Tonks.

Others joined them.

"We're wasting time." Harry said. "Come if you want, but I need people inside to defend as well."

A few stepped back. Harry was surprised to see Arthur coming out to fight.

"This is my house and my family." Arthur told him. "They're not getting either."

Harry nodded and took the lead.

Outside, it seemed Voldemort had assembled most of the inner circle. He could spot Bellatrix's dark hair and suppressed the urge to run, or do something really pathetic like cry.

His feet crunched on the thick snow as he walked out, standing in line with Voldemort.

"Tom." Harry said, nodding his head.

He saw Voldemort twitch and fix him with a cold stare. Harry dropped his eyes after a few seconds, the red glare bringing up too much.

"Why are you here, Tom?" Harry asked, praying his voice didn't break.

Voldemort looked almost affronted.

"I can't pay a visit for Christmas, Harry? But we brought you a present!"

The Death Eaters started snickering, and Harry braced himself. What would it be? A dead muggle? Privet Drive burnt down? Though he wouldn't protest that.

A scuffle broke out behind Voldemort, who smiled wider. Sirius stepped forwards to put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Do you remember the night in August when we gave you company for the night?" Said Voldemort.

Harry didn't remember the change from July to August so he was stumped. He'd had many visitors, some kept him up for several days until they themselves needed sleep.

"Your Uncle and Cousin were quite useless to us. And they weren't as stubborn as you. But your Aunt... Well, we left her alone until Bella needed her." Voldemort smirked.

Bellatrix emerged, her skin twisted and deformed along the right side of her face from Harry's spell in Hogsmeade. It made her smirk look sickly.

"She didn't beg, Hawwy. But you know that, don't you? Refused to give us information, even though she was right in front of you. Quite rude. You should apologise to her!" Bellatrix cooed, the crowd parting behind her.

A body in a full body bind was levitated above the Death Eaters, floating across the gap between them and the Burrow. It stopped halfway and lowered, flattening the snow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Voldemort flick his wand. The figure on the ground moved.

It started with an arm, elbow raising off the ground to push up shakily. The head was down. They got on all fours like a toddler, lifting a knee to stand up. Harry heard gasps behind him.

It was Aunt Petunia.

She limped forwards, her head jolting, neck boneless and floppy, an open tear across the windpipe. Her hair, once platinum blonde and thin, hung in clumps surrounded by patches of scalp. Her skin was grey and peeling.

Harry felt his stomach rebel and tried to maintain his position, breathing deeply.

His Aunt was an inferius.

There was no love between them whatsoever, he had hated her right up until the day she was killed. But seeing her like this did something to him. At some point, she must have been nice. Not to him, but to his mother. A time before his mum got her Hogwarts letter, before Petunia got jealous and spiteful. His mother had loved her once. And now he felt a rising fury on her behalf.

Petunia had been killed. That he could deal with. But she had been defiled, corrupted, destroyed further. Voldemort would do that to anyone Harry knew, and it had to end.

"Harry." Sirius whispered. "Let Remus deal with her. Don't look."

His Aunt was coming closer, arms lifting in a mock embrace. Her eyes were grey and washed out, a low moan issuing from her mouth.

Harry stepped forward, cutting off Remus, and lifted his wand. Bright purple flames, the same he used to burn Bellatrix, billowed out and enveloped his Au- the inferius. It gave a solitary cry.

Harry convinced himself that the heat was making his eyes water, and blinked the unwelcome moisture back.

He ended the spell and lowered his wand, determinedly looking straight at Voldemort. He didn't look at the smoking ashes on the ground.

Voldemort laughed, cruel and cold.

"You do always find some way to change things up, Harry. Although, I can't say I'm surprised. I had a look through your family's mind. If I was you, I would have killed them the first time they laid a hand on me."

Harry didn't dare turn round.

"It turns out you have more scars than we gave you." Voldemort smiled.

"Well neither of us have had perfect childhoods, Tom." Harry said, feeling his hands shake with anger. "How was the orphanage?"

A spell was shot towards his head so quickly, he had no other option but to duck. Over his shoulder, Sirius retaliated, which was deflected by Bellatrix. The battle had begun.

Harry and Voldemort met in the middle of chaos, as people around them charged, flashes of light every second. Harry ducked again, bringing his arm up in a swing and firing a bone breaker.

"Learnt a few more spells, have we, Potter?" Voldemort flicked it upwards, a sadistic gleam in his eyes.

Not enough, Harry thought.

"Ssthra!" Whispered Harry.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the light grey spell and flicked it to the side.

The ground blew up on impact, Voldemort stumbling to the right. Harry had used the parseltongue spell for igniting the oxygen in the lungs. Brutal but useful.

Voldemort recovered in seconds, partially covered in a shower of dirt, releasing a chain of spells. Harry realised he had given him too much time, those seconds were the perfect time to-

His shield shattered, flinging him backwards. He scrambled back as spells began dive bombing at his legs. He saw a stunner go his way.

No. He wouldn't be taken again.

"Protego!" Harry snapped, sending it bouncing back.

"Crucio!"

Mistaking it for another stunner, Harry took it full on, falling to one knee before pulling himself back up. Voldemort's curses were always more powerful. He aimed a severing charm at Voldemort's head.

They traded spells furiously, some silent and some yelled, ducking and slashing through the air. At some point, Harry tried to summon his shoes, but Voldemort was covered in anti summoning charms, as he was too. He knew Voldemort was duelling him for show, but fought his hardest.

A death eater flew across his vision, banished by a red hair toting Tonks. Voldemort glanced at her but looked back.

Harry didn't make the mistake of letting a moment go twice.

A fire whip, one that had been in some of the very first spells he had been taught, sliced through the air. Voldemort barely had any time to summon a shield. It was crude and thin, but blocked the powerful stroke just long enough for him to apparate away.

"Coward!" Harry yelled, spinning around.

Other death eaters were apparating away too. Bill must have brought the wards down, or Voldemort lowered them. The snow around him was stained red in places, unconscious death eaters slumped, order members catching their breath.

A scream echoed from the burrow. Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Alongside the rest, they sprinted as fast as they could. The door was blown off its hinges.

"No!"

Molly and Hermione were laying stiff on the ground in body binds, Charlie and Moody on the floor, knocked out. Voldemort stood in the middle.

He held Ginny, an arm around her waist and his wand up to her throat.

Voldemort gave one last nasty smile before apparating away once more, and taking the youngest Weasley with him.

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 **Yknow like half of this story was inspired by me just thinking about the inferi aunt scene, I was gonna write that and be done, but then my mind just kept screaming that I needed to set the scene and somehow setting the scene turned into an 80k word build up.**

 **Ooh hoo. Did someone say rescue mission?**


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